Aerospace Industry

Lord Jones: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the current number of jobs in existence in the United Kingdom aerospace industry.

Lord Livingston of Parkhead: The UK aerospace sector directly employs over 100,000 people and indirectly supports an additional 130,000 jobs.

Aerospace Industry

Lord Jones: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what financial and other support the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has given to non-destructive testing and training in aerospace; and in which United Kingdom locations such operations have taken place.

Lord Livingston of Parkhead: Non-destructive testing is carried out widely by the aerospace industry to validate the quality of components during research and development activity and production. The funding provided by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills through collaborative Research and Development grants and repayable interest-bearing loans will have included elements of non-destructive testing and training.

Aerospace Industry

Lord Jones: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what grants they have made in each of the last five years to aerospace companies for the purpose of research.

Lord Livingston of Parkhead: The following grants were paid to aerospace companies including their academic partners between 2008 and 2013 for the purposes of collaborative research on civil aerospace projects:
	2008/09 - £74 million
	2009/10 - £84 million
	2010/11 - £73 million
	2011/12 - £59 million
	2012/13 - £55 million

Aerospace Industry

Lord Jones: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the value of exports from the United Kingdom by the aerospace industry in each of the last five years.

Lord Livingston of Parkhead: The value of aerospace exports from the UK between 2008 and 2012 are as follows:
	2008 - £14.26 billion
	2009 - £15.89 billion
	2010 - £17.93 billion
	2011 - £20.61 billion
	2012 - £22.4 billion
	The export value for 2013 was not yet released at time of writing.
	(Source ONS)

Afghanistan

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many cases of intimidation in Afghanistan were reported to the Intimidation Investigation Unit in the calendar years from (1) June 2011, and (2) June 2012.

Lord Astor of Hever: Prior to the formation of the Intimidation Investigation Unit in June 2013 there were 31 reported instances of intimidation in the period June 2011 until May 2012 and 64 reported instances from June 2012 until May 2013.

Afghanistan

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether reports from the Afghanistan Intimidation Investigation Unit and the corresponding in-theatre decision panel are available for publication.

Lord Astor of Hever: It is not Ministry of Defence policy to publish information on cases of alleged intimidation of current or former Locally Employed Staff, as to do so would put the personal safety of those involved at risk

Air Ambulance Service

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support they provide to the air ambulance service.

Earl Howe: Air ambulance services are largely provided and funded through charitable donations. Since April 2002, the National Health Service normally provide and fund the cost of staff on air ambulances; however the level of funding support varies from charity to charity; some fully fund their own medical staff on their ambulance, others receive more NHS funding support.
	NHS England work closely with air ambulance charities at a local level as part of their considerations of the urgent and emergency care mix in different areas of the country.

Alcohol

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to continue measuring alcohol stealth admissions to hospitals in the new Public Health Outcomes Framework; and if not, why not.

Earl Howe: 'Alcohol stealth admissions' is not a recognised or widely used term. If it is taken to mean admissions for people with medical conditions, whether these are conditions wholly caused by alcohol use, or whether they are conditions caused by alcohol use in an estimated percentage of cases, then we intend to continue to publish measures of alcohol-related admissions for patients with all such conditions where there is good evidence that alcohol is a causal factor.
	A consultation was carried out last year jointly by Public Health England, the Department and the Health and Social Care Information Centre about the methods used to estimate alcohol-related admissions to hospital.
	The consultation was driven by an improved understanding of methodological issues associated with measuring alcohol-related admissions and the need to include the best available indicator on alcohol-related admissions in the Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF).
	We announced the conclusions of the consultation on 13 November. These are that:
	— A new measure which uses primary diagnoses plus mentions of alcohol-related external causes in secondary diagnosis fields will give a more reliable measure of local trends in alcohol-related hospital admissions and will be used in the PHOF. It is important to note that both conditions wholly caused by alcohol use and conditions with an estimated percentage caused by alcohol may be included in primary or secondary diagnosis fields; and— The current method of measuring alcohol-related hospital admissions using primary and secondary diagnosis fields will continue to be published for each local area, giving a good measure of the broader impact of alcohol on local hospital services.
	The report can be found on the Local Alcohol Profiles for England website.
	www.lape.org.uk

Anguilla

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Northover on 17 December (WA 169), what technical assistance in economic and financial management to the government of Anguilla resulted from the visits of United Kingdom officials referred to; and at what cost and over what period it was provided.

Baroness Northover: The UK routinely provides technical assistance to Overseas Territory governments, including through economic update visits. FCO and DFID officials visits to Anguilla in 2012 and 2013 led to: (i) advice on economic and financial management delivered by UK Government staff from the information gathered during the one-week visits; and (ii) expert consultancy advice to assist the Government of Anguilla in fiscal risk management and budget monitoring. The expert provided advice between March and November 2012 at a total cost of £40,641.55.

Apprenticeships

Lord Jones: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their estimate of the current number of apprenticeships in the United Kingdom aerospace industry.

Lord Livingston of Parkhead: Final data on apprenticeship starts by framework title for the 2002/03 to 2012/13 academic years are published at the following link:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/A358E6DC-825D-40B0-94BC-039C0443DAA0/0/Nov2013_Apprenticeship_Starts_Framework_Grouped.xls
	Apprenticeship data are not available by industry. Within an industry, a learner may undertake a wide range of apprenticeship frameworks.

Armed Forces: Afghanistan

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many members of the Armed Forces have been repatriated to Selly Oak Hospital during operations in Afghanistan; how many have subsequently been discharged from the forces on medical grounds; and how many returned to their Service.

Lord Astor of Hever: Selly Oak Hospital was home to the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM) until it moved to the new Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham in 2010.
	There were 2,912 UK Armed Forces personnel aeromedically evacuated from Afghanistan to the RCDM between 1 January 2003 (earliest data available) and 31 October 2013 (the latest data available). Of these, 279 were subsequently medically discharged from the Armed Forces prior to 31 March 2013 (the latest data available) and 1,889 were still in the Armed Forces on 1 November 2013.

Armed Forces: Sexual Assault

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many allegations of sexual assault by colleagues in the Armed Forces were made in 2012 by (1) women, and (2) men; what proportion were subsequently withdrawn; and what proportion of each led to any form of disciplinary action.

Lord Astor of Hever: Set out below are details of relevant allegations dealt with by the Service Police during 2012 where both the complainant and the suspect were members of the Armed Forces.
	The Service Police recorded five investigations under Section 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (S.2 SOA 03) — Sexual Assault by Penetration. Of these five, three involved allegations by females and two involved allegations by males.
	The Service Police also recorded 27 investigations under Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 (S.3 SOA 03) — Sexual Assault. Of these 27, 19 involved allegations by 21 females (two cases involved two complainants). Eight cases involved allegations by 11 males (one case involving three complainants and one case involving two complainants).
	The outcomes of these 32 investigations are recorded as follows:
	Five investigations against five suspects resulted in Courts Martial Proceedings in which a Guilty verdict was returned.
	Two investigations against three suspects resulted in Courts Martial Proceedings in which a Guilty verdict was returned for lesser offences under the Armed Forces Act 2006.
	Nine resulted in Courts Martial Proceedings in which a Not Guilty verdict was returned.
	Four investigations resulted in the Service Police referring four suspects for charge. However, upon analysis of the evidence the Service Prosecuting Authority concluded that there was no realistic prospect of conviction.
	Two investigations against two suspects resulted in No Crime Established.
	Three investigations against three suspects were withdrawn.
	Three investigations are listed as suspect not identified.
	Four investigations are ongoing against four suspects.

Armed Forces: Training

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what will be the cost of their commitment to train 30 Burmese army officers; and from which department's budget those costs will be met.

Lord Astor of Hever: £87,850 is currently allocated for the Managing Defence in the Wider Security Context course which will take place in January 2014. It is funded from the Conflict Pool.

Armed Forces: Training

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why the training they are providing for the Burmese army is not being provided in the United Kingdom.

Lord Astor of Hever: The Managing Defence in the Wider Security Context course will be delivered in Burma in January 2014 by the UK Defence Academy and Cranfield University. The course, tailored for Burma, will teach how defence works within a democratic framework. Five personnel will travel and be accommodated in Burma rather than 30 personnel who would need to travel if the course was in the UK. For the numbers attending this course it is more cost effective to send a team to country.

Armed Forces: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Baroness Stern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Astor of Hever on 13 June (WA 254), whether any unit of the British armed forces or United Kingdom personnel other than the British Army Training Unit in Kenya operate unmanned aerial systems in Africa for the purpose of training or any other purpose.

Lord Astor of Hever: No Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are currently operated in Africa by the British armed forces, other than at the British Army Training Unit Kenya used for training purposes. UK personnel embedded with the US Air Force have flown US Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems in Africa in support of Op Ellamy (Libya) and the UK has an officer seconded to the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) who is responsible for co-ordinating the operation of UN contracted unarmed UAS in support of MONUSCO operations.

Armed Forces: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Baroness Stern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Astor of Hever on 19 March (WA 127), whether training or trial events of unmanned aircraft systems other than Reaper have been carried out in United Kingdom airspace with international partners.

Lord Astor of Hever: No joint training or trials events of Ministry of Defence (MOD) unmanned air systems have taken place with international partners in United Kingdom airspace. The MOD has, however, supported French forces' evaluation of the Watchkeeper unmanned air system, an element of which took place
	at Parc Aberporth, which is in segregated airspace. This activity was independent from the United Kingdom Watchkeeper programme.

Armed Forces: Veterans' Card

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to introducing a veterans' card providing rights to veterans in such areas as public transport or the use of leisure facilities.

Lord Astor of Hever: Plans for a national identity card scheme were cancelled as part of the Government's commitment to tackle the budget deficit, and there are no current plans to introduce an ID card for former Service personnel. However, this issue is kept under review and is reconsidered on a periodic basis.
	The provision of concessionary travel to veterans of the UK Armed Forces is a matter for the public transport operating companies. The Ministry of Defence is not in a position to provide any concessions but is grateful to those organisations which do. For example, Transport for London runs a veterans concessionary travel scheme, which includes free travel on all forms of London public transport, designed for veterans in receipt of war pension scheme or Armed Forces compensation scheme payments. Veterans may also gain travel concessions through existing, publicly available schemes, such as family or pensioners cards supplied by the operating companies.
	In addition, in 2012 we launched the Defence Discount Service and Defence Privilege Card, which are open to both serving members of the Armed Forces and their spouses or partners as well as veterans, Service widow/ers and bereaved children. A very wide range of discounts, including for leisure facilities, are available via the scheme website (www.defencediscountservice.co.uk) and directly through participating companies, either on-line or in the High Street.

Arts: Couper Collection

Lord Boateng: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any communication has taken place between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Port of London Authority, and the Trustees of the Couper Collection in order to preserve that collection and to continue to ensure it is available for public viewing and use on the Thames.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Department’s Correspondence Management System shows no record of any such communication from the Port of London Authority or the Trustees of the Couper Collection being received in the Department.

Aviation: Air Passenger Duty

Lord Rowe-Beddoe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have decided to devolve the control of Air Passenger Duty to the Northern Ireland Assembly but not the National Assembly for Wales, in the light of the Silk Commission's recommendations.

Lord Deighton: The Government has devolved direct long-haul rates of air passenger duty (APD) to the Northern Ireland Assembly. This takes into account the unique position of Northern Ireland, which is the only part of the UK sharing a land border with another EU Member State, which has a lower rate of aviation tax.
	As set out in the response to the Silk Commission, the Government is not convinced of the case for devolving APD to Wales given the potential effects across the country as a whole. In particular, a report published by HMRC in 2012 highlighted that different rates either side of the Wales/England border would be likely to lead to market distortions that redistributed passengers between airports without significantly increasing the overall demand within the UK.

Aviation: Airbuses

Lord Jones: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total amount of Government funding for the development of the Airbus A380 aircraft.

Lord Livingston of Parkhead: The UK Government provided a repayable interest-bearing loan of £530 million to contribute towards Airbus' design and development costs for the A380 programme.

Aviation: Airbuses

Lord Jones: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much funding they have provided for the Airbus A50 airliner.

Lord Livingston of Parkhead: The Noble Lord is advised that there is no Airbus aircraft programme called the A50. We have assumed there was a typographical error in the question and it was meant to say A350. The question has been answered based on this assumption.
	The Government has committed to provide up to a total of £400 million to GKN and Airbus in the form of repayable interest-bearing loans to contribute towards the design and development costs for the A350 XWB programme.

Aviation: Airline Charges

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the charges imposed by some airlines in addition to the cost of the fare.

Baroness Kramer: No assessment has been made. Pricing policies are a matter for the airlines. However, Regulation EC1008/2008 on Common Rules of the Operation of Air Services in the Community includes measures on airline ticket pricing.
	Article 23 of the regulation requires the final price of an air ticket (inclusive of all foreseeable and unavoidable taxes, fees and charges) to be displayed at all times. Any optional price supplements, such as those covering hold baggage or insurance, must be communicated clearly at the start of the booking process. The acceptance of optional price supplements by the customer must be on an ‘opt-in’ basis.
	Since October 2012 the Civil Aviation Authority published a summary (updated quarterly) of the optional charges levied by the top airlines in the UK in one price comparison document. Information on the cost of taking hold luggage on board, having an in-flight meal and reserving specific seats is all included, as well as a range of other optional charges that airlines may apply. A link to the summary can be found via the following link:
	http://www.caa.co.uk/docs/2200/Comparing_ airline_charges.pdf

Aviation: Airline Charges

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the compulsory booking fees added to the price of tickets purchased through some ticketing companies.

Baroness Kramer: No assessment has been made. Pricing policies are a matter for the airlines.
	However, Regulation EC1008/2008 on Common Rules of the Operation of Air Services in the Community includes measures on airline ticket pricing. Article 23 of the regulation requires the final price of an air ticket (inclusive of all foreseeable and unavoidable taxes, fees and charges) to be displayed at all times. Any optional price supplements, such as those covering hold baggage or insurance, must be communicated clearly at the start of the booking process. The acceptance of optional price supplements by the customer must be on an ‘opt-in’ basis.

Bangladesh

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have assessed the process whereby members of the Awami League are declared elected without a vote in Bangladesh in the context of the aspects of the
	Harare Declaration relating to the right to participate in free and democratic political processes; and whether they intend to propose that the Commonwealth take steps in relation to the democratic process in Bangladesh.

Baroness Warsi: We note that ahead of polling on 5 January, 154 seats are now uncontested, over half of Bangladesh’s 300 constituencies. The UK has repeatedly urged all parties to facilitate conditions conducive to peaceful, credible, elections that express the genuine will of the people. It is therefore disappointing that less than half of the electorate will have the opportunity to express their democratic choice through the ballot box. We will continue to work with international partners, including the Commonwealth, to support a sustainable outcome. We continue to encourage Commonwealth members to uphold Commonwealth values, as set out in the Commonwealth Charter.

Bangladesh

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Baroness Warsi made any comments on the execution of Abdul Quader Molla during her recent visit to Bangladesh, or on the manner in which the elections there are being conducted; and if so, whether they will place a copy of those comments in the Library of the House.

Baroness Warsi: In my meeting with the Bangladeshi Prime Minister and Foreign Minister on 12 December I expressed my concern at the imminent execution and restated our opposition to the use of the death penalty in all circumstances. At the subsequent press conference, I reiterated our absolute opposition to the death penalty in all countries and in all circumstances.
	I called on the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, Speaker, Leader of the Opposition and Chief Election Commissioner. I urged all parties to resolve their differences and find a sustainable way forward through constructive dialogue. A copy of my Press Statement will be placed in the Library of the House.

Banking: Banknotes

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the vending industry to ensure that the industry is able to use plastic banknotes.

Lord Deighton: The day-to-day arrangements for printing, issue and circulation of banknotes are the responsibility of the Bank of England.
	As stated in the Bank's recent news release, they have consulted with a wide range of stakeholders in the cash industry, including the vending industry.
	The Bank will continue its dialogue with the industry including hosting an Industry Forum in February 2014. Stakeholders from the vending industry will be invited to this event.

Banking: Bonuses

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the latest situation in relation to the proposals by the European Commission to place limits on the level of bonuses that can be paid to bankers.

Lord Deighton: In September 2013 the Government launched a legal challenge to the bonus cap under the EU Capital Requirements Directive 4. These rules, rushed through without any assessment of their impact, risk undermining the significant progress we have made to align remuneration with risk by pushing bankers' fixed pay up rather than down. In our view, regulating pay in this way also goes beyond what is permitted in the EU Treaty.
	Given our obligations under European law, pending the outcome of the challenge, the UK is implementing the CRD4 remuneration provisions.
	The Government has transposed the Capital Requirements Directive (CRD4). The Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority are responsible for the detailed implementation of these rules, including the limit on variable remuneration in relation to fixed remuneration for material risk takers at banks.

Banking: LIBOR

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much money has been allocated from LIBOR-fixing fines to military charities in (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales and, (4) Northern Ireland.

Lord Deighton: I can confirm that the £35m of LIBOR fines announced by the Chancellor in October 2012 has been allocated in the following way:
	(1) In England 37 Charities received £10,556,547.63.(2) In Scotland 12 Charities received £5,455,310.00.(3) In Wales 3 Charities received £2,406,846.89.(4) In Northern Ireland 1 Charity received £50,000.00.
	In addition, 40 UK wide projects were awarded £16,167,817.90.

Barnet Formula

Viscount Astor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what additional funds will be allocated to (1) Wales, (2) Scotland, and (3) Northern Ireland, as a consequential settlement under the Barnett Formula in relation to HS2 Phases One and Two.

Lord Deighton: The 2010 Spending Review fixed spending budgets for each Government department until 2014-15. Each of the devolved administrations received Barnett consequentials on changes to the Department for Transport’s (DfT) budget in the normal way, as set out in the Statement of Funding Policy. The budgets that were set at the 2010 Spending Review for DfT included expenditure on HS2.
	Using the same calculation, the devolved administrations received Barnett Consequentials on the changes to the DfT 2015-16 budget in the 2013 Spending Round. Departmental and devolved administration budgets were set out in the relevant HM Treasury publications at the time of the announcements.
	The framework used to calculate devolved administrations’ allocations is expected to be updated at the next full Spending Review, as is usual practice, and will reflect the latest information on departmental spending.

BBC World Service

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the new licensing arrangements for the BBC World Service require consultation with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office over the services which will be provided.

Baroness Warsi: The BBC Trust consulted widely earlier this year, including with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, on a draft Operating Licence for the BBC World Service. The Operating Licence will come into effect on 1 April 2014, setting out the services provided by the World Service, its scope and contribution to the BBC’s public purpose, as well as the annual budget.

BBC World Service

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the current BBC World Service mandate to “address the enduring global gap in the provision of trusted international news” in countries where access to trusted news is not possible will remain part of its mandate from April 2014; and whether they consider that the requirement is being met on the Korean Peninsula.

Baroness Warsi: The new Operating Licence for the BBC World Service will come into effect on 1 April 2014. It describes how the World Service will continue to “...contribute to the BBC’s international news mission to address the global gap in provision of trusted international news..”. The BBC World Service is editorially, managerially and operationally independent of government - so decisions on services are for them to consider.
	The vast majority of North Koreans have no access to international news, despite the efforts of a number of organisations, including those currently broadcasting into North Korea from outside the country. The BBC World Service Board has concluded they cannot provide a service that would have a meaningful impact on this situation.

Benefits

Baroness Campbell of Surbiton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many people have successfully appealed since December 2012 against new sanctions applied in relation to receipt of Employment Support Allowance; and how many of those individuals had (1) mental health conditions, (2) sight loss, and (3) learning disabilities.

Lord Freud: The information requested by medical condition is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	However information on appeals and reconsiderations for Employment and Support Allowance sanction decisions since December 2012 is shown in the table below:
	ESA Sanction Decisions: Appeals and Reconsiderations by type of decision 3 December 2012 to 30 June 2013 (Great Britain).
	
		
			 Level Outcome Failure to attend mandatory interview Failure to participate in Work Related Activity Total 
			 Appealed Decision Non-adverse 20 10 30 
			  Adverse 20 20 40 
			  Cancelled - - - 
			  Total 40 30 70 
			 Reconsidered Decision Non-adverse 350 2,120 2,470 
			  Adverse 230 1,230 1,460 
			  Cancelled 10 50 60 
			  Total 590 3,400 3,990 
		
	
	Source:
	Decision Making and Appeals System (DMAS)
	Notes:
	1. Values are rounded to the nearest 10. '-' indicates a nil or negligible value. Due to rounding totals may not be the sum of the individual cells.
	2. Data to 30th June 2013 is the latest available information. The new sanctions regime started on 3rd December 2012 for ESA.
	3. Decision: An adverse decision is one that is found against the claimant. A non adverse decision is one that is found in favour of the claimant.
	4. Sanctions statistics in relation to receipt of Employment Support Allowance can be found, along with Jobseeker’s Allowance sanctions information, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/jobseekers-allowance-sanctions

Britons Living and Working Abroad

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many United Kingdom subjects (1) live, and (2) work, in other European Union countries.

Lord Bates: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority.
	I have asked the Authority to reply.
	Letter from Glen Watson, Director General for ONS, to Lord Moonie, dated December 2013.
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking Her Majesty's Government how many United Kingdom subjects (1) live, and (2) work, in other European Union countries. [CO] HL4225
	The ONS does not collect information regarding British citizens resident in other EU countries, or on the status of their employment. However, Eurostat publishes figures on population by citizenship for EU countries, these are available at: http://epp.eurostat. ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/population/data/database
	ONS produces estimates of Long-Term International Migration flows which are primarily based on the International Passenger Survey (IPS). Detailed information on countries of next residence of emigrants from the UK is available for 1975 to 2012 using the IPS component of these estimates. Published estimates on the Top 10 countries of next residence for emigrants who are British citizens can be found in our Series 3 tables (3.20b) on the ONS website at: http://www.ons. gov.uk/ons/rel/migrationl/long-term-international-migration/2012/table-3-20abc.xls

Burma

Baroness Jenkin of Kennington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 19 November (WA 184), which existing projects in Burma will be incorporated into the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI); which new PSVI projects will be undertaken in Burma; and, how much funding is being allocated to each of those projects.

Baroness Warsi: Our Embassy project work on the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) in Rangoon currently totals over £300,000 for the next 15 months. We are currently supporting a project to train 60 women in Burma in basic legal skills so that they can provide advice to victims of sexual violence on how to access legal and other support services. In addition, community leaders and local government staff in 40 target villages will participate in workshops and receive psychosocial training to gain a better understanding
	of their potential role in preventing sexual violence in their own community. This project will benefit women and girls in Kachin, Kayah, Rakhine, Meiktila, and Pyapon. We are also funding separate work to engage with non-state armed groups in support of our existing work on the wider peace process. We will continue to look for further opportunities to incorporate PSVI in to our work and engage with the Burmese government on this issue.

Burma

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether Her Majesty's Ambassador to Burma has hosted any meetings or conferences of different religious and ethnic groups in order to promote tolerance and understanding.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Our Ambassador to Burma has frequently hosted meetings bringing together leaders of different faiths, including during the visit of the Speaker of the House of Commons in July 2013, when representatives from the Hindu, Christian, Buddhist and Muslim faiths discussed how to promote tolerance and understanding in the country. Our Ambassador and Embassy officials meet regularly with representatives of all faith communities, both in Rangoon and in the wider country. Our Embassy in Burma also frequently hosts meetings with leaders of Burma’s ethnic minority groups, including during the visit of the International Development Committee in November 2013, and on regular visits to ethnic minority states throughout 2013. The UK is also supporting interfaith dialogue to help build trust between communities – for example a project promoting peace building among interfaith youths to encourage reconciliation between communities.

Burma

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the anticipated outcomes of providing training for the Burmese army.

Lord Astor of Hever: The UK Defence Academy and Cranfield University will deliver a Managing Defence in the Wider Security Context course in Burma in January 2014. Over a 14 year period, this course has been delivered to representatives from 101 different nationalities and it is exported annually to 12 prioritised nations or regions across the world.
	The programme has been designed around a theme that will examine the legal framework by which defence and security operations are legitimised and controlled, and it will draw attention to human rights and international humanitarian law.
	The objectives for each participant are that they will have had an education in:
	The structures and processes through which security can be legitimately governed and managed;
	Professionalism within the defence and security sectors as it pertains to civilian and security personnel;
	The significance of leadership, governance and management in the attainment of higher professional standards;
	The implications and benefits of enhanced professionalism for the civil-military relationship;
	And the wider consequences of enhanced professionalism for international security.
	The course is being delivered as part of Her Majesty's Government wider strategy to support democratic reform in Burma and through engagement with the Tatmadaw, we hope to impart the values and ethos of a professional military that operates within a democratic society.

Caste Discrimination

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the work undertaken by the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the definition of caste, in particular in relation to refining the definition of caste through the public consultation on the prospective caste legislation; and whether the existing protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010 underwent a similar process.

Baroness Northover: The research work is commissioned by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and no government assessment will be made until it is completed.
	All of the protected characteristics, included in the Equality Act 2010, were already protected under previous domestic legislation thus obviating the need for further research or public consultation before their inclusion in the Act.

Central African Republic

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what further steps will be taken to help protect civilians and address the humanitarian situation in the Central African Republic; whether there are plans to provide logistical support to the French mission; whether they intend to apply targeted sanctions against those guilty of grave crimes; and whether they intend to support the deployment of a fully equipped United Nations force.

Baroness Warsi: The priority of the international community is to restore basic security and ensure humanitarian assistance can be delivered to those in need. To that end, the UK strongly supported UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 2127 which mandated the immediate deployment of French forces and the African-led International Support Mission (MISCA) with the aim of protecting civilians and stabilising the country. The Resolution also called for
	planning to begin for a possible UN Peacekeeping Operation in the future. The UK provided logistical support to the French mission, at the request of the French government, in the form of three flights to carry French equipment to the Central African Republic (CAR) (see the Written Ministerial Statement of 9 December 2013).
	The UK has provided £15 million of aid to CAR in response to the poor humanitarian situation, and is encouraging further contributions from international partners. We remain extremely concerned about reports of human rights abuses in CAR. CAR’s National Transitional Council must work with the UN Peacebuilding Office in CAR (BINUCA) and the new UN Commission of Inquiry to ensure that abuses are fully documented and perpetrators are prosecuted - in conjunction with the International Criminal Court where appropriate. We will consider the possibility of targeted sanctions as the situation continues to develop in conjunction with international partners.

Children: Unique Individual Identifier

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations have been made to them by senior professional interests about the effects on the health and physical safety of children of delays in the adoption of a unique individual identifier using the National Health Service number to collate information across agencies relating to individual children; whether any such representations have focused on the position adopted by the education sector, nationally and locally, in respect of adopting the National Health Service number for that purpose; which Minister is responsible for resolving outstanding matters on the issue; and in which year they now plan to introduce the unique identifier for children.

Earl Howe: The Children and Young People's Health Outcomes Forum recommended that the National Health Service Number should be used as the unique identifier to bring together health, education and social care data for all children and young people in its report published in July 2012. Since then Forum members have made regular representations to the Department to seek updates on progress. Forum members are aware that Departmental officials had a discussion last year with the Secondary Heads Reference Group, facilitated by the Department for Education, in which they highlighted their concerns around costs and benefits.
	Using the NHS Number as an identifier, at the point of care, for all publicly funded health and adult social care services by 2015 is central to the Department's Information Strategy. The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Health, Dr Daniel Poulter, recently agreed with the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families, Edward Timpson, that we undertake a short term piece of work to test the case for the NHS Number as a cornerstone of care records across health and children's social care, with a workshop which we are proposing to be held in February 2014.

China

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, during their recent trade missions, the Prime Minister or the Chancellor of the Exchequer raised concerns with the government of China about the number of executions in that country.

Lord Hill of Oareford: My Right Honourable Friend the Prime Minister raised concerns about human rights during his recent visit to China, and agreed with Premier Li that we would hold the next round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in early 2014. This is the right occasion for the detailed expert discussion of these issues.

Commonwealth: Heads of Government Meeting

Lord Howell of Guildford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the decision by Mauritius to withdraw its offer to host the next scheduled Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2015; and whether they considered the United Kingdom as an alternative venue.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: We respect Mauritius’ decision not to host the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) in 2015. At the 2013 CHOGM in Colombo, the UK, along with the rest of the Commonwealth, welcomed and accepted Malta’s offer to host CHOGM in 2015.

Commonwealth: UK Elections

Lord Bowness: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Commonwealth citizens who do not also hold a United Kingdom passport are registered as eligible to vote in United Kingdom Parliamentary elections.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many Commonwealth citizens who do not also hold a United Kingdom passport are eligible to vote in United Kingdom Parliamentary elections, broken down by Commonwealth country.

Lord Bates: The Government does not hold this data.

Commonwealth: UK Elections

Lord Bowness: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, when a country leaves the Commonwealth or is suspended from membership, whether any citizens of that country resident in the United Kingdom who do not also hold a United Kingdom passport remain eligible to vote in United Kingdom Parliamentary elections.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether citizens of countries which apply for and are accepted into membership of the Commonwealth, who are resident within the United Kingdom and who do not also hold a United Kingdom passport, become eligible to vote in United Kingdom Parliamentary elections.

Lord Bates: Citizens of countries who have been accepted into membership of the Commonwealth become eligible to vote if their country has been included on the list of Commonwealth countries in Schedule 3 of the British Nationality Act 1981.
	When a country is suspended or departs from the Commonwealth, decisions are taken on a case by case basis as to whether its citizens should retain Commonwealth status.

Courts: Judicial Deployment

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McNally on 11 December (WA 114–15), whether the annual local assessment of judicial needs is published; and, if so, whether they will place a copy in the Library of the House.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The annual local assessment of judicial needs is neither collated centrally at present, nor published. The ‘Protocol to support Judicial Deployment in the Magistrates’ Courts’ was used for the first time this year and the Senior Presiding Judge’s Magistrates’ Liaison Group will be making an assessment of the initial operation of the Protocol in the New Year.

Cyprus and Northern Cyprus

Lord Sharkey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what support, financial or otherwise, they have given to Cyprus in each of the last five years; what proportion of any such support was targeted at Northern Cyprus; and what assessments they have made of the effects of the various elements of any support.

Lord Deighton: The British Government continues to strongly support all efforts to achieve a comprehensive solution to the division of Cyprus. In the past five years, UK cooperation with Cyprus has included support during the management of the financial crisis and helping prepare the Turkish Cypriot community to reach and implement a comprehensive settlement to the division of Cyprus, as well as capacity-building in a range of areas, from road safety to tackling football hooliganism.. Significant programmes include:
	• The EU Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community has a budget of €310.65 million (£258.70 million) over the period 2006- 2012. EU Member States contribute to the EU Budget as a
	whole and not to individual spending programmes within it. For reference, the UK's post-abatement financing share of the total budget is estimated to be around 12.5% in 2013.• UK projects in support of the EU Aid Programme amount to approximately £2.5m in the last five years.• The Government of Cyprus agreed a €10 billion (£8.3 billion) financial assistance programme with the euro area and International Monetary Fund in March 2013. As an IMF shareholder, the UK contributes indirectly to this through the IME's €1 billion (£0.83 billion) loan. The UK lends to the IMF as an institution and not to particular programmes; therefore, it is not possible to provide an exact estimate of the UK's contribution to individual IMF programmes.• HM Government provided technical assistance to the Government of Cyprus during the Cypriot financial crisis. This included a team of UK officials going to Cyprus.• The UK has implemented several bilateral cooperation projects with the Republic of Cyprus in the last five years, with a total spend of £140,000. In 2013-14, the public sector reform element of this is expected to amount to £75,580.• The UK has also directly contributed approximately £189,100 to the work of the Committee for Missing Persons in Cyprus since 2006.

Deposit Protection Service

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the efficacy of the Deposit Protection Service and of the level of legal expertise it employs in the adjudication of contested claims for the recovery of deposits.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston: The Deposit Protection Service is required to submit monthly reports on key performance indicators to the Department for Communities and Local Government. In addition, the Department holds quarterly monitoring meetings with the Deposit Protection Service at which any performance issues can be discussed. Over the six and a half years that the scheme has been operating, the Deposit Protection Service's performance has been consistently high.
	The Deposit Protection Service is required to provide a free, impartial and evidence-based dispute resolution process. We have not made any assessment of the level of legal expertise employed by Deposit Protection Service in the dispute resolution process, but the tenancy deposit protection schemes have worked together to produce guidance on the dispute resolution process to ensure consistency in adjudication decisions across the schemes.

Education: Korean

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will ensure that schools offering the study of the Korean language have the opportunity of GCSE examinations made available to their students.

Lord Nash: GCSEs are available in a wide range of languages, but no exam board has yet chosen to develop a GCSE in Korean. Were such a GCSE to be developed, it would be the responsibility of Ofqual, the exams regulator, to make sure that it was developed so that the qualification was fit for purpose, fair and valid, and allowed standards to be maintained.

Education: Special Educational Needs

The Earl of Dundee: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to prevent the closure of local schools already providing special needs as well as mainstream education.

Lord Nash: Local authorities (LAs) are under a duty to ensure that there are sufficient school places for all children in their area, including those with special needs. To help them meet this duty, LAs have the power to propose the closure of maintained schools and maintained special schools. Where a local authority proposes closure, the Government has no direct role in the decision. All decisions related to school closures are taken locally. However, a robust statutory process must be followed to allow those directly affected by the proposals to feed in their comments.
	The individual stages of the process are:
	1. Consultation - with all interested parties;2. Publication of statutory proposals;3. Representation - allowing for comments and objections to be submitted;4. Decision; and5. Implementation
	School closure is always a sensitive issue. That is why great emphasis is placed on the consultation and representation stages. It is vital that local communities affected by these decisions have the opportunity to express their views and concerns and that these are fully taken into consideration by the decision maker.

Egypt

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of reports that Eritrean refugees have been mistreated in the northern Sinai region of Egypt.

Baroness Warsi: We remain concerned about the reports of kidnapping and mistreatment of Eritrean refugees in the Sinai. We have raised our concerns with the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on many occasions, most recently at Ambassadorial level in Cairo.
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials have also discussed this issue with the Eritrean Embassy in London, the Eritrean government in Asmara, and last month FCO officials, along with officials from the National Crime Agency and West Yorkshire Police, met with various members of the Eritrean Diaspora in the UK. In July 2013 the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr Simmonds) met with the Eritrean Foreign Minister.

Elections: Cambodia

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions are taking place at European Union level on the elections that took place on 28 July in Cambodia.

Baroness Warsi: The EU’s Asia Oceania Working Party Group discussed the Cambodian elections on 4 September 2013 and continues to follow the situation closely. Baroness Ashton issued statements on 30 July and 23 September, commending the peaceful nature of the elections but highlighting flaws in the process and calling for dialogue. The European Union Delegation in Phnom Penh regularly discusses the ongoing election dispute with both sides and with representatives from EU Member State Embassies in Phnom Penh. Baroness Ashton has also written to Sam Rainsy, leader of the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) to encourage the two parties to embark on further dialogue to resolve the current political impasse.

Energy: Electricity

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on the security of supply of electricity in the United Kingdom if Eggborough Power Station closes; and what alternative sources of electricity are available.

Baroness Verma: Although commercial decisions on the status of power plants are for operators, the Government continually monitors the outlook for security of supply, including the potential impact of power stations closures.
	The Government, National Grid and Ofgem are taking coordinated short and medium-term actions to ensure that, as capacity margins are likely to tighten in the middle of the decade, any risks to security of supply are minimised.
	National Grid already has capacity available through the Short-Term Operating Reserve to keep the system in balance. This capacity is there as back-up in the case of unexpected events.
	In addition, on 19 December Ofgem approved a request from National Grid to extend the existing system balancing tools to manage any short-term risks in the middle of the decade.
	In the medium-term, Government is legislating for a Capacity Market, which will deliver capacity from 2018/19, subject to state aid clearance. This will help drive the new investments we need.
	There are many different alternative sources of electricity to Eggborough. A list of operational UK power stations as at the end of May 2013 can be found in DECC's Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) Table 5.11.
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electricity-chapter-5-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes

Energy: Nuclear Power Stations

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how long they expect the European Commission’s inquiry into the state aid being provided to support the building of a new nuclear power plant at Hinckley Point to take; whether the investigation is likely to delay the start of that project or affect its cost; and whether the United Kingdom will be required to take account of that report’s conclusions.

Baroness Verma: The European Commission announced its decision to open an investigation into the State aid case for the proposed Hinkley Point C investment contract on 18 December 2013. We welcome the investigation. The Commission's decision represents another important step forward in progression of the State aid case for Hinkley and is a standard part of the process for cases like Hinkley. We have expected an investigation for some time and have built this into our planning.
	The Commission has sole competence to determine our notification for State aid approval. We are working closely with them and would look to secure a decision as soon as practicable. The UK Government will need to abide by the final decision once it is made by the Commission following the investigation.

EU: Council of Ministers

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many configurations of the European Union’s Council of Ministers currently exist; and what areas of United Kingdom policy do not have a corresponding Council of Ministers.

Baroness Warsi: There are European Union Council of Ministers meetings on a range of policy areas and the Council can only deal on matters as provided for in the EU Treaties. These are: Foreign Affairs; General Affairs; Economic and Financial Affairs; Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs; Justice and Home Affairs; Competitiveness; Transport, Telecommunications and Energy; Agriculture and fisheries; Education, Youth, Culture and Sport; Foreign Affairs Council on Defence; Foreign Affairs Council on Trade. In addition the leader-level European Council meeting covers a range of priority issues

EU: Outright Monetary Transactions

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the legal basis for the European Union's Outright Monetary Transactions programme.

Lord Deighton: Article 18.1 of Protocol No 4 of the Treaty, on the Statute of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) and of the European Central Bank (ECB), sets out that:
	“In order to achieve the objectives of the ESCB and to carry out its tasks, the ECB and the national central banks may:
	• operate in the financial markets by buying and selling outright (spot and forward) or under repurchase agreement and by lending or borrowing claims and marketable instruments, whether in euro or other currencies, as well as precious metals;• conduct credit operations with credit institutions and other market participants, with lending being based on adequate collateral.”

EU: Overseas Aid

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the European Commission in respect of the recommendation of the European Court of Auditors in Special Report 14/2013 that they undertake a major review of the Pegase programme of Direct Financial Support to the Palestinian Authority.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government does not currently plan to make representations to the European Commission. The European Court of Auditors found no evidence of corruption or mismanagement of processes and the report clearly states that robust processes are in place to ensure that funds reach the intended beneficiaries. The European Commission has already started a dialogue with the Palestinian Authority (PA) on the issue of PA staff in Gaza. The European Court of Auditors report concluded that the European
	Union has succeeded in providing support to the PA in difficult circumstances. The Government fully endorses the EU’s approach to supporting the PA and notes that some of the recommendations in the report have already been implemented.

EU: Overseas Aid

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the European Court of Auditors' recent report concerning misuse of European Union funds destined for the Gazan people through the Pegase programme.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government does not currently plan to make representations to the European Commission. The European Court of Auditors found no evidence of corruption or mismanagement of processes and the report clearly states that robust processes are in place to ensure that funds reach the intended beneficiaries. The European Commission has already started a dialogue with the Palestinian Authority (PA) on the issue of PA staff in Gaza. The European Court of Auditors report concluded that the European Union has succeeded in providing support to the PA in difficult circumstances. The Government fully endorses the EU’s approach to supporting the PA and notes that some of the recommendations in the report have already been implemented.

EU: Overseas Aid

Baroness Deech: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to monitor the use of United Kingdom funds contributed to the European Union aid programme for Palestinians.

Baroness Northover: All EU funding to Palestine is independently monitored by the European Court of Auditors. We welcome the recent Court report on the EU Direct Financial Support to the Palestinian Authority, which acknowledges that the Commission and the European External Action Service have succeeded in implementing this support in difficult circumstances, and found no evidence of corruption or mismanagement.

EU: Trade Agreements

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Livingston of Parkhead on 11 December (WA 118–19), with which countries the United Kingdom would need to sign new trade and investment agreements were the United Kingdom to leave the European Union; and what is the United Kingdom's trade balance with those countries.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: Were the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, it would no longer be party to the EU’s common commercial policy and therefore unable to benefit from the preferential arrangements within EU trade and investment agreements.
	In order to return to British companies the benefits previously enjoyed of preferential market access as negotiated for them by the EU, a future British Government would need to request the launch of bilateral negotiations with some fifty-plus countries, namely those listed in my previous answer. Moreover, market access arrangements with remaining EU countries would also need to be negotiated.
	Statistics relating to the UK’s trade balance with countries are publicly available in the Office of National Statistics’ Pink Book Publication. They can be found at http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/bop/united-kingdom- balance-of-payments/2013/index.html

European Council

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the draft Council Conclusions to be put to the European Council on 19–20 December in respect of (1) co-operation on Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, (2) the deployment of European Union battlegroups, (3) cybersecurity, (4) the development of a maritime security strategy, and (5) the harmonisation of defence requirements; and whether any of the measures envisaged would engage the referendum provisions of the European Union Act 2011.

Baroness Warsi: The draft European Council Conclusions were discussed on 19-20 December in Brussels. I will update the House in January 2014 on the outcome of the European Council.

Financial Services Companies

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many individuals have withdrawn their applications to be controlling persons of financial services companies after being advised that they were unlikely to be approved since May 2010.

Lord Deighton: This is a matter for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), as successor body to the FSA in operating the Approved Persons Regime. The FCA will reply to the Noble Lord directly by letter, a copy of which will be placed in the House Library.

Fishing: British Territorial Waters

Lord Eden of Winton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent action they have taken to protect fisheries in United Kingdom waters; whether they are calling for an end to bottom-trawling and the practice of discards; and which countries' fleets are fishing in British territorial waters.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what evidence they have of (1) French, and (2) Spanish, fishing vessels fishing in British territorial waters; and what action they are taking to stop it.

Lord De Mauley: Under the reformed EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), due to come into effect on 1 January 2014, the derogation enabling UK control over the 0 – 12 nautical mile (nm) zone around our coasts was maintained. A limited number of Member States (France, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, and Belgium) retain their historic access to our 6-12nm zone and are permitted access to certain areas to catch particular species. These rights are based on historic activity, and the details of the areas and species that may be fished are set out in Annex I of Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002. Spanish vessels do not hold any such rights.
	Records indicate that in the period 2011-2013, no French or Spanish vessels were investigated for fishing illegally inside the UK’s 6-12nm limits. The Marine Management Organisation undertakes monitoring and enforcement action on a risk basis. Due to the perceived low risk of unauthorised fishing by non-UK vessels within the UK’s 6-12nm limits, no enforcement action is targeted solely at this activity.
	The new CFP also includes provisions to progressively eliminate discards, a key UK priority in the negotiations. The UK Government also strongly supports the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems with specific measures to restrict fishing activity such as bottom-trawling in sensitive areas.

Flags

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which flag is flown on United Kingdom government buildings in Northern Ireland; and whether there are any proposals to fly the national flag of the Republic of Ireland on those buildings.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: UK government departments in Northern Ireland fly the Union Flag on the designated days for the flying of the Union Flag. The Government has no proposals to fly the national flag of the Republic of Ireland.

Flags

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have received from Dr Richard Haass about flying the flag of the Republic of Ireland on certain buildings in Northern Ireland.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: No such representations have been received.

Flags

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what occasions and on what United Kingdom government buildings foreign flags are flown in the United Kingdom.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The flying of flags is deregulated. It is a matter for each UK Government department to determine if and on what occasions they choose to fly flags from other nations.

Fluoridation

Baroness Gardner of Parkes: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that children receive adequate treatment and instruction to protect them from developing dental disease.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in the introduction of fluoridation in water systems since May 2010; and what plans they have to increase the use of fluoridation of water in the interests of dental health.

Earl Howe: Public Health England (PHE) is currently developing updated guidance for health care professionals on the prevention of dental disease in the form of the third edition of the guidance document Delivering Better Oral Health. This guidance will include specific advice regarding the provision of preventative dental advice and treatment for children. PHE is also developing guidance for commissioners of oral health promotion programmes for children and young people. Both sets of guidance will be published by May 2014.
	The Government’s policy remains that decisions on fluoridation should be taken locally. Between May 2010 and April 2013 decision making was exercised by National Health Service strategic health authorities and governed by regulations. Since April 2013 upper tier and unitary local authorities have the powers to make proposals to introduce, or further extend, water fluoridation schemes and undertake consultations under the Water Fluoridation (Proposals and Consultation) (England) Regulations 2013.
	Tooth decay remains a public health problem. This Government therefore expects that local authorities develop plans to improve oral health and would consider water fluoridation in the context of these plans.

Gaza

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Palestinian Authority to send assistance and fuel to Gaza.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: British Consulate General and Department for International Development staff have made several representations to the Palestinian Authority on the importance of finding both an immediate and long-term solution to the energy crisis in Gaza.
	The Permanent Under-Secretary of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Sir Simon Fraser, discussed the Gaza fuel issue with the Palestinian Prime Minister on 19 November 2013.

Gaza

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with (1) the government of Israel, and (2) the World Health Organisation, concerning airborne weaponry used over Gaza in the last five years since and including Operation Cast Lead, in particular in respect of its effect on the reproductive health of Gazans and unborn children.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: We are not aware of any recent discussions on this specific issue. However, we are unable, in the time available, to search all relevant information covering the last five years.

Gaza

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance are they sending to Gaza after recent severe flooding there.

Baroness Northover: The UK already provides significant support to Gaza through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency and the International Committee of the Red Cross to provide health, education and other vital services. At present our partner agencies have assessed that current emergency response mechanisms are working well, but we will monitor the situation closely for any further developments.

Gaza

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning reports of the opening of dams at the eastern borders of Gaza, and its impact on the flooding there.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised these reports with the head of the Civil Coordination Department of the Israeli Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories Office (COGAT) and were assured that there was no truth in the story.

Gaza

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance they are giving to Gaza in respect of power and media blackouts there.

Baroness Northover: We are concerned by power shortages in Gaza and have been liaising closely with the UN and other agencies to ensure that measures are being taken to ameliorate the situation. We welcome recent steps taken by Palestinian, Israeli and international partners.

Government Departments: Management Information Reports

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office produces monthly management information reports including indicators of performance against financial and other targets; and, if so, whether those reports are submitted to a Minister, the Permanent Secretary, or to another official.

Baroness Warsi: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) produces a range of Management Information reports on policy, corporate, and operational matters for the purposes of internal monitoring. This includes a financial report, the Key Performance Report, produced on a monthly basis. The report includes a measure of current expenditure across the Department’s budgets and contains forecasts of future spend against financial indicators. It also assesses the financial risks to the Department for the financial year. The report is submitted to the FCO’s Management Board for consideration every month to inform the Board’s decision-making. The Management Board is chaired by the Permanent Under-Secretary. The report is copied to HM Treasury for information. Separately, the FCO Supervisory Board meets quarterly and is chaired by the Foreign Secretary and attended by several Ministers and Board members. It receives and discusses a financial report prepared on the same basis as the monthly report provided to the FCO Management Board.

Government Departments: Management Information Reports

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stowell of Beeston on 16 December (WA 155–6), whether any performance data are collated on a daily or weekly basis for Ministers or the Permanent Secretary; and, if so, what.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Stowell of Beeston on 16 December (WA 155–6), what key performance indicators are used to review progress against the overall performance targets and objectives of the Department.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston: Performance reports are provided monthly and include the latest position on the input and impact indictors published in the Department’s Business Plan and the latest forecast expenditure data against limits set by Parliament. Other metrics are included from time to time as appropriate.

Government Departments: Management Information Reports

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord De Mauley on 16 December (WA 156), whether any performance data are collated on a daily or weekly basis for Ministers or the Permanent Secretary; and, if so, what.

Lord De Mauley: The performance data that is supplied to Ministers and the Permanent Secretary was described in the answer to WA 156. No additional daily or weekly data is supplied.

Government Departments: Management Information Reports

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord De Mauley on 16 December (WA 156), what key performance indicators are used to review progress against the overall performance targets and objectives of the Department.

Lord De Mauley: Defra’s performance indicators are described in the Departmental business plan 2012-15: http:// transparency.number10.gov.uk/business-plan/10.
	Progress is reported in the Annual Report and Accounts. The latest report for 2012/13 was published in July 2013: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/224329/defra-year-end-accounts2012-13.pdf.
	A mid-year report will be published in January 2014 giving the latest position against these performance indicators.

Government Departments: Management Information Reports

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Tankerness on 16 December (WA 156), whether any performance data are collated on a daily or weekly basis for Ministers or the Permanent Secretary; and, if so, what.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Performance data is not provided routinely to Ministers or to the official head of the Scotland Office on a daily or weekly basis.

Government Departments: Management Information Reports

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Tankerness on 16 December (WA 156), what key performance indicators are used to review progress against the overall performance targets and objectives of the Department.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Scotland Office’s objectives and performance targets for 2013-14 are specified in the Annual Report of the Scotland Office and the Office of the Advocate General for 2012-13 available at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-report-and-accounts-2012-13--2.

Government Departments: Management Information Reports

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 16 December (WA 156–7), whether any performance data are collated on a daily or weekly basis for Ministers or the Permanent Secretary; and, if so, what.

Lord Freud: In response to your previous question [HL4032] the Department explained that it produces a range of monthly and quarterly management information reports, and that these are provided to Ministers and the Permanent Secretary.
	This question is in a similar vein, though focussing on information being provided on a weekly or daily basis. As well as providing a range of information on a monthly basis, there is also information which is provided on a more frequent basis.

Government Departments: Management Information Reports

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Freud on 16 December (WA 156–7), what key performance indicators are used to review progress against the overall performance targets and objectives of the Department.

Lord Freud: The Department for Work and Pensions uses an internal performance management framework which sets out the metrics and agreed planning assumptions the Department uses to monitor its performance. The framework provides a clear line of sight to the Department's overall strategic objectives, including its Business Plan transparency indicators, and is used alongside a number of other Departmental reporting products to inform the Executive Team’s monthly performance discussion. Data from this internal framework is then gathered and published in the Departments Annual Report and Account which provides information on expenditure and performance of the Department. The published accounts for year ending 31 March 2013 can be accessed at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-work-and-pensions-annual-report-and-accounts-2012-to-2013

Government Departments: Taxis

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what expenditure was incurred on taxis ordered by the Department for Education's London headquarters in each month of 2013.

Lord Nash: The Department for Education cannot isolate the expenditure on taxis to particular locations or buildings. In addition to the main headquarters building (Great Smith Street), another site in Central London (Greycoat Street) is utilised, primarily by one of the Department's Executive Agencies.
	The Department has some taxi contracts to support business, but staff can also reclaim locally incurred taxi fares which are in line with the Department's travel policy. For completeness, both are set out below. These figures exclude spend by the Department's agencies which joined the Department in April 2012.
	
		
			 Table A: Total contract taxi expenditure incurred by Department for Education, excluding agencies. 
			 Month Contract taxi spend 
			 January 2013 £985.14 
			 February 2013 £4,652.53 
			 March 2013 £3,435.62 
			 April 2013 £567.94 
			 May 2013 £3,049.84 
			 June 2013 £999.91 
			 July 2013 £1,409.39 
			 August 2013 £1,292.34 
			 September 2013 £3,933.19 
			 October 2013 £2,041.90 
			 November 2013 £1,840.75 
			 December 2013 to date £462.60 
			 Total £24,671.15 
		
	
	
		
			 Table B: Total taxi expenditure reimbursed through expense claims, excluding agencies 
			 Month Spend 
			 January 2013 £6,765.35 
			 February 2013 £8,451.83 
			 March 2013 £15,977.19 
			 April 2013 £7,534.92 
			 May 2013 £13,478.31 
			 June 2013 £11,347.90 
			 July 2013 £10,047.96 
			 August 2013 £6,368.40 
			 September 2013 £7,779.55 
			 October 2013 £10,810.99 
			 November 2013 £9,904.08 
			 December 2013 to date £5,852.36 
			 Total £114,318.84 
		
	
	The total taxi spend for 2013 was, therefore, £138,990- an average monthly spend of £11,583. This is compared to an average monthly taxi spend of £20,987.64 in the last six months of the previous Government (November 2009 — April 2010).

Government Departments: Websites

Lord Brabazon of Tara: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Government Digital Service monitors daily the Google search results for (1) “European Health Insurance Card”, (2) “passport”, (3) “driving licence”, and (4) “driving test”; whether they will liaise with Transport for London about searches for “congestion charge”; and what action they will take to stop websites presenting themselves as official government sites.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to make the website www.nhs.uk/ehic a gov.uk site.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to instruct the website www.nhs-e111-ehic.org.uk to remove the letters "nhs" from their web address.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to instruct the website www.dvla-driving-licence.co.uk to remove the letters “dvla” from their web address.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Officials in the Government Digital Service (GDS) are leading a cross-government exercise to gather information about the operation of third-party websites offering services associated with official government services. Reviewing the contents of adverts featured on search results pages is part of this activity but does not take place on a daily basis.
	Where Government has become aware of websites make misleading claims in their advertising it has brought these complaints to the attention of the Advertising Standards Authority. Ministers are also planning to meet with Google next year to discuss its enforcement of its own terms and conditions for advertising on its search results pages.
	Government has not liaised with Transport for London about third-parties offering services related to the congestion charge payment service and does not have plans to do so. There are currently no plans to migrate the NHS website and by extension the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) application service to the GOV.UK website. Government is taking action about the use of ‘dvla’ by www.dvla-driving-licence.co.uk and ‘nhs’ by www.nhs-e111-ehic.org.uk, and has successfully argued against misuse of ‘nhs’ in website addresses by the following websites: nhs-services.org.uk, nhs-direct.org.uk and nhs-cards.org.uk.

Health: Adult Social Care

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much money, at constant prices, was held in reserves at the end of each of the last five years for which information is available by (1) National Health Service Trusts, and (2) local authorities with responsibility for adult social care.

Earl Howe: National Health Service trusts (non-foundation trusts) are not funded directly by the Department – rather, they are trading bodies whose income derives mainly from commissioners via the provision of healthcare. NHS trusts have a statutory duty to ensure that revenue is not less than sufficient, taking one year with another, to meet outgoings properly chargeable to the revenue account. This is known as the “break-even duty”.
	The break-even figures are an indication of financial performance in the NHS trust sector, measured against a statutory duty, as opposed to the total value of reserves reported in the Statement of Financial Position, which represents the total equity base of NHS trusts.
	The cumulative position reported for each of the last five financial years for all NHS trusts is provided in the following table.
	The amounts reported as ‘Cash and Cash Equivalents’ in National Health Service Trust accounts is also provided in the following table.
	Information in respect of local authorities with responsibility for adult social care is not collected centrally by the Department.
	
		
			  2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 NHS trusts £000s £000s £000s £000s £000s 
			 Break-even Cumulative Position (240,387) (12,785) 33,201 23,222 (11,669) 
			 Cash and Cash Equivalents 1 836,779 735,187 847,583 1,161,141 1,383,372 
		
	
	Source:
	Audited summarisation schedules of NHS trusts
	Notes:
	1. 2008-09 accounts were prepared using United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) rather than the currently adopted International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Under IFRS, “cash and cash equivalents” includes short-term investments, whereas under UK GAAP these are not included.

Health: Adult Social Care

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total public expenditure on (1) adult social care, and (2) the Attendance Allowance benefit, in 2012–13 and the previous four financial years; and what is the forecast expenditure on those items for 2013–14.

Lord Freud: The provision of adult social care is a devolved matter. Expenditure data on adult social care is published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre. It’s recent report, Personal Social Services Expenditure and Unit Costs - England, 2012-13, Final release (published on 10 December 2013, http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB13085) includes final data up to and including 2012/13. Annex C of this report calculates social care expenditure from all sources, including transfers from the NHS. Total net expenditure on adult social care from all source is:
	
		
			 Net current expenditure on adult social care (£billion, cash) 
			 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 
			 15.09 15.74 16.08 15.55 15.35 
		
	
	DCLG collects budget data from councils showing how much they plan to spend on adult social care in the coming year, excluding transfers from the NHS. For 2013/14, councils plan to spend £14.65bn from their own budgets and the NHS will transfer £0.86bn for social care with a health benefit, meaning that total expenditure is expected to be £15.51bn.
	Expenditure on Attendance Allowance, including outturn and forecast, is published on the Government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/benefit-expenditure-tables. The latest expenditure figures, in nominal terms, have recently been published following the Autumn Statement and will be updated shortly to include real term figures and additional breakdowns in line with previous expenditure and caseload releases.

Health: Elderly People

Baroness Knight of Collingtree: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether visual impairment will be part of the vulnerable older people's plan.

Earl Howe: The Government's aim is to restore the link between family doctors and patients, and for general practitioners (GPs) to provide more proactive, personalised care for all.
	This year our focus within the 2014-15 GP contract was patients aged 75 and over and the most vulnerable people at risk of emergency hospital admissions. In practice, we would expect GPs to provide tailored care for their patients with the most complex health needs regardless of age.
	We are not specifying any particular disease or condition within the plan, rather are focussing on treating people as individuals and taking all their care needs into account.
	The Government is committed to improving care for people so that they are able to enjoy an independent, fulfilling life, and have the support needed to manage their health. The changes for 2014-15 are the first step in transforming care for all people with complex needs.

Health: Human Papilloma Virus

Baroness Gould of Potternewton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have undertaken an equality analysis assessment of omitting boys from the current human papilloma virus vaccination programme for girls; and if such an assessment has been completed, what were its conclusions.

Earl Howe: An equality impact assessment was completed in 2008 for the introduction of the national human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme for girls. At that time vaccination of boys for HPV was considered to be not cost effective for the prevention of cervical cancer.
	The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), the independent experts that advise Government on immunisation, is currently considering a number of key issues around HPV vaccination, including the option of vaccinating men
	who have sex with men and/or adolescent boys. Once this work has been completed the Department will consider the JCVI's advice and an equality analysis will be carried out during any developmental work.

Health: Meningitis

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when it is expected that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation will have completed further research on the cost-effectiveness of treatments for group B meningitis, as announced in the minutes of their meeting of 2 October.

Earl Howe: On 2 October 2013 the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) reviewed evidence on the cost-effectiveness of the routine use of meningococcal B vaccination in the United Kingdom including information provided during a stakeholder consultation on their interim statement on the use of the meningococcal B vaccine, which was published on 24 July 2013. Following review of this evidence the committee agreed that the evidence provided necessitated further analyses. Copies of the interim statement and the update from the committee have been placed in the Library.
	The JCVI asked for all additional analyses, where possible, to be completed ahead of the next meeting of the committee to be held on 11 and 12 February 2014.

Health: Mental Health

Lord Patel of Bradford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many days 16 and 17 year-olds spent in in-patient wards of adult psychiatric facilities in each financial year since April 2010.

Earl Howe: Information about how many days 16 and 17 year olds spent in in-patient wards of adult psychiatric facilities in each financial year since April 2010 is given in the following table.
	
		
			 Number of bed days for 16 and 17 year olds spent in in-patient wards of adult psychiatric facilities1 , 2010-11-2012-13 
			 Age Year 
			  2010-11 2011-122 2012-132 
			 16 14,794 7,622 3,263 
			 17 41,560 11,383 7,317 
		
	
	1 This only includes children under 18 who have been recorded as having bed days on adult mental health wards in the Mental Health Minimum Data Set (MHMDS). The Health and Social Care Information Centre holds data on all ages of patient on adult mental health wards but does not hold data about Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services.
	2
	Data supplied covers both National Health Service providers and independent providers.
	Sources:
	MHMDS annual files 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13.
	Health and Social Care Information Centre, Community and Mental Health Team.

Health: Mesothelioma

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Earl Howe on 5 December (HL Deb, col 343–5), what assessment they have made of the number of high-quality grant applications for mesothelioma research compared to the funding available; what was the basis for the Minister's statement that Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health Research spending on mesothelioma reached £2.2 million in 2012–13; and whether the trials of PIT (Prophylactic Irradiation of Tracts), SMART (Mesothelioma and Radiotherapy) and TIPS (The Inhaled Particles Study) to find out whether people are still being exposed to the insulating material asbestos, over two to three years, account for that amount.

Earl Howe: In my answer on 5 December (Official Report, column 344), I stated that together the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) spent more than £2.2 million on mesothelioma research in 2012-13. This investment is supporting high-quality research applications, and a breakdown of the expenditure is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Category 2012-13 
			 Medical Research Council £000s 
			 Fellowship 183 
			 MRC Unit 1,871 
			 TOTAL MRC 2,054 
			 National Institute for Health Research  
			 Biomedical research centre 9 
			 Research for Patient Benefit programme 151 
			 TOTAL NIHR 160 
			 TOTAL MRC and NIHR 2,214 
		
	
	These figures do not include the Inhaled Particles Study (TIPS) as this is not directly funded by the MRC or the NIHR.
	Through the Research for Patient Benefit programme, the NIHR spent £72,964 on the Prophylactic Irradiation of Tracts trial (PIT trial) and £78,088 on the South-West Mesothelioma and Radiotherapy trial (SMART trial) in 2012-13.
	Total NIHR spend in 2012-13 was higher than shown in the table because expenditure by the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) on mesothelioma research cannot be disaggregated from total CRN expenditure. The CRN is currently recruiting patients to eight studies in mesothelioma.
	The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including mesothelioma. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the importance of the topic to patients and the NHS, value for money and scientific quality. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.

Health: Mitochondrial Disease

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Howe on 18 November (WA 145 and 148) and 4 December (WA 48–9), whether they consider that the 10 people who would otherwise die are the same individuals as the original embryos sharing their nuclear genome that would have been destroyed in the process of replacing defective mitochondria; if so, what consideration has been given to the wider legal implications of equating identity in such a manner; and, if not, in what sense they consider that the lives of people who would otherwise die would be saved, rather than replacements being created.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 18 November (WA 145), whether the proposed draft regulations would be restricted to terminal diseases in order to save lives.

Earl Howe: The aim of allowing mitochondrial donation would be to provide an opportunity for children to be born free of serious mitochondrial disease. The Government would not regard such children as ‘replacements'.
	The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990, as amended, contains a power to make regulations to allow a process to prevent the transmission of serious mitochondrial disease. The Government is currently developing the detail of the draft regulations and intends to consult on them early next year.

Health: Professional Regulation

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 11 December (WA 127), what power they have to require professional regulations to be strengthened.

Earl Howe: The Department has committed to simplify and modernise professional regulation legislation. However, the professional duty of candour can be strengthened without such changes to legislation and the professional regulators are developing new guidance to make clear professionals' responsibility to report “near misses” for errors that could have led to death or serious injury, as well as actual harm. They will review their professional codes to bring them into line with this guidance. They will also be reviewing their guidance to panels taking decisions on professional misconduct to ensure they take proper account of whether or not professionals have raised concerns promptly.

Health: Professional Regulation

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 11 December (WA 127), when they expect new strengthened professional regulations to become effective.

Earl Howe: The Nursing and Midwifery Council and General Medical Council are beginning work straight away, working with the other professional regulators, on the strengthened guidance covering the professional duty of candour and we expect that it will be ready for consultation early next year and in place towards the end of 2014.
	It is intended that the statutory duty of candour on providers registered by the Care Quality Commission will also come into force towards the end of 2014.

Health: Professional Regulation

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Howe on 11 December (WA 127), what conversations or meetings ministers have had with medical and nursing professional bodies with a view to strengthening professional regulations, and on which dates any such consultations took place.

Earl Howe: Ministers keep the issue of professional regulation under regular review and the Department has frequent contact with the professional regulators.

Health: Public Health England

Lord Patel of Bradford: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, and if so where, the responsibility for training and supporting the wider National Health Service and social care workforce, including the unqualified workforce in health and social care, and excluding doctors, sits within Public Health England.

Earl Howe: It is the responsibility of Health Education England to provide national leadership and strategic direction for education, training and workforce development for the National Health Service and public health system. The Department also provides funding to Skills for Health, which is the sector skills council for health, to develop a more skilled and flexible workforce, with particular focus on the unqualified health workforce.
	It is the responsibility of employers in the care sector to ensure that their staff are trained and competent to carry out the role for which they are employed. The Department provides funding to Skills for Care, which is the sector skills council for adult social care in England, and the National Skills Academy for Social Care to develop the adult social care workforce.

Health: Tuberculosis

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what correspondence has taken place in 2013 between Ministers and Sir David Nicholson regarding a national tuberculosis strategy.

Earl Howe: The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Public Health (Anna Soubry) wrote to Sir David Nicholson, on 4 July 2013 regarding the development of a national tuberculosis strategy.

Health: Tuberculosis

Baroness Nye: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Northover on 12 December (HL Deb, col 970), how much they spent on direct bilateral aid for tuberculosis in each country, in the financial year 2012–13.

Baroness Northover: In 2012/13 we estimate that £13.7 million was spent bilaterally through UNITAID, the Stop TB Partnership, research, country programmes and civil society organisations. Of this, £1.2 million was provided in direct bilateral aid for tuberculosis to Burma. In addition DFID’s spend on strengthening health systems in partner countries, helps support and deliver TB programmes.
	Further details of UK aid expenditure can be found at www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department- for-international-development/about/statistics

Health: Tuberculosis

Baroness Nye: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the remarks by Baroness Northover on 12 December (HL Deb, col 970), what is the breakdown of bilateral aid projects in India with regard to the sums committed to the care and control of tuberculosis.

Baroness Northover: DFID supported the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme in India between 2006-2012. DFID provided £42.25 million to procure first line anti-TB drugs (i.e. for non-drug resistant cases) and £8.95 million to provide capacity building assistance in training, planning, monitoring and surveillance.

Health: Tuberculosis

Baroness Nye: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish details of their bilateral projects in South Africa with a particular focus on tuberculosis in the extractive industries.

Baroness Northover: Under the U.K. Government’s Transparency commitment, MID publishes information about its expenditure on all current projects, including those in South Africa: http://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/countries/ZA/projects/

Health: Tuberculosis

Baroness Nye: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the cost-effectiveness of tuberculosis care and control programmes.

Baroness Northover: Tuberculosis care and control programmes are highly cost effective, by country context and the interventions delivered.

Higher Education

Baroness Brinton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many 18 year-olds are in full-time further education at (1) schools, and (2) colleges, in England; and how many started studying full-time in each group before their 18th birthday.

Lord Nash: The Department does not calculate estimates of participation based on the actual age of a young person, because such estimates would be subject to continual change over the course of an academic year, depending on the reference date chosen. The official statistics on participation by age are based on academic age, i.e. the age at the start of the academic year, 31 August. The following table shows the most recent estimates, from the Statistical First Release (SFR) “Participation in Education, Training and Employment by 16-18 Year Olds in England”1 , of the number of academic age 17 and 18 year olds in full-time further education by institution type, which relate to the end of 2012, (i.e. a snapshot of learner numbers part-way through the 2011/12 academic year).
	1 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/participation-in-education-training-and-employment-by-16-to-18-year-olds-in-england-end-2012
	
		
			 Participation in full-time further education* at academic age 17 and 18 by institution type, end 2012. 
			 Institution type 17 18 
			 All state-funded schools 187,500 26,300 
			 Independent schools 38,900 6,800 
			 Sixth form colleges 65,700 11,800 
			 General further education, tertiary and specialist colleges 183,600 105,600 
			 Higher education institutions 800 2,700 
			 Total 476,600 153,000 
		
	
	Figures do not include those studying higher education level qualifications, i.e. those at Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) level 4 or higher. Learners shown in higher education institutions are those studying at QCF level 3 or below.

Human Trafficking

Baroness Doocey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many successful prosecutions for human trafficking there have been over the past three years where the victim is under 18 years old.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Ministry of Justice Court Proceedings Database does not include information about all the circumstances behind each case other than those which may be identified from a statute. Therefore, from these data, it is not possible to identify separately the age breakdown of victims of human trafficking offences. As such, the information requested can only be obtained at disproportionate cost

Immigration

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Taylor of Holbeach on 6 December (WA 970–2) stating that a total of 57,179 enquiries were made to the Home Office employer checking service in the period 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013, that 26,998 responses were an affirmation of the right to work based on an outstanding application with the Home Office or a positive validation of a certificate of application or Application Registration Card, and a further 15,451 responses advised that the Home Office was unable to confirm an individual’s right to work, and in the light of the Minister's statement that “the Home Office Employer Checking Service answers enquiries either confirming an individual’s right to work or advising that it is unable to give such a confirmation”, what response was given to the other 14,730 queries during that period.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The response to the ‘other' 14,730 queries for Employer Checking Service check requests during the period one April 2012 and 31 March 2013 would be a combination of the following:
	‘Not Appropriate' — the request was 'not appropriate' for a number of reasons such as:- The migrant already has documentation to prove their right to work, and there is no outstanding application or appeal with the Home Office; or- The migrant has been employed by the employer prior to the introduction of the civil penalties legislation (February 2008), and therefore any positive response would not afford the employer with a statutory excuse against a civil penalty; or- The employer has submitted a duplicate check.
	This list is not exhaustive.
	Rejected requests — these would consist of Employer Checking Service requests where some of the information required on the request form is not provided or incomplete.

Immigration: Deportation

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether private contractors Taylormade Security hold any contracts with the Government for the removal of immigration detainees from the United Kingdom; and, if so, whether they are paid separately for each detainee removed.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The Home Office do not have a direct contract with Taylormade Security; they are an approved sub-contractor to our contractor Tascor and are primarily used for the provision of healthcare professionals, of the appropriate qualification and skills, to meet the needs of the detainee. The terms of the contract between Tascor and Taylormade Security are commercially confidential. However, Tascor receive an hourly rate for each healthcare professional used per request.

Immigration: Detention

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many incidents of (1) self-harm requiring medical attention, (2) individuals being managed as having a risk of self-harm, (3) hunger strike, and (4) individuals being managed as having a risk of hunger striking, took place in immigration detention in each of the last ten years, and to date in 2013.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The data gathering process has changed over the requested period. A complete and readily comparable data set is not available for the whole period. However, information relating to self harm has been released periodically covering the period since January 2012 in response to Freedom of Information requests and is comparable and reproduced below.
	
		
			 Data period Individuals placed on Assessment Care in Detention Treatment (ACDTs) Individuals requiring medical attention as a result of self harm 
			 2012 (January to December) 1814 208 
			 2013 (January to September) 1914 266  
		
	
	The data is based on management information only and has not been subject to the detailed checks that apply for National Statistics publications. These figures are provisional and are subject to change.

India

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made representations to the government of India about the Indian Supreme Court's ruling re-establishing section 377 of the Indian Penal Code regarding homosexuality.

Baroness Warsi: We are following developments on the Indian Supreme Court decision closely. It is important that India's democratic institutions work through this issue. The UK’s global policy is that human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people, as enshrined in Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and that to render consenting same-sex relations illegal is incompatible with international human rights laws, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Internet: Broadband

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will provide details of the funding to be awarded to Cardiff and Newport as part of the £150 million investment to create superconnected cities set out in the National Infrastructure Plan.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: As part of their revised Super Connected Cities plans – which aim to bring the benefits of faster and better broadband to small businesses, as well as wireless coverage to the city centre and, in Cardiff, inside public buildings – Cardiff have requested up to £10.2 million, and Newport £6 million.
	DCMS fully supports these exciting visions for Cardiff and Newport. Their proposals were approved in June and conditional funding letters were issued in November. As with all Super Connected City plans, funding is being made available on condition of delivery by the 2015 deadline. DCMS continues to work closely with city councils on the development and delivery of their projects.

Iraq: Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress they have made in examining the cases of residents of Camp Ashraf or Camp Liberty who formerly resided in the United Kingdom, with a view to their readmission to the United Kingdom.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: We have agreed to consider, exceptionally, the re-admission as refugees of 52 residents of Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty who were previously settled in the UK. This includes the consideration of a UNHCR assessment
	of each individual to ensure that none have been complicit in acts of terrorism or other activities incompatible with refugee status. Thus far, UNHCR have submitted 17 assessments to the Home Office. No decisions have yet been reached.

Iraq: Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Iraq concerning the attack and abductions at Camp Ashraf on 1 September; and what steps the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the international community are taking to speed up the transfer of the residents of Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty to third countries.

Baroness Warsi: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), raised the 1 September attack on Camp Ashraf with the Iraqi Foreign Minister when they met on 25 November. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is responsible for the process of repatriation of residents to third countries. The transfer of residents from Camp Liberty to third countries is dependent on the cooperation of the residents and governed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees assessment process.

Isa Muazu

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations and agreements they have made to, and received from (1) the government of Nigeria, (2) the Nigerian High Commission, (3) the government of Malta, and (4) the Maltese High Commission, concerning the deportation of Mr Isa Muazu on 29 November; and which (a) British, (b) Nigerian, (c) medical and (d) security officials accompanied Mr Muazu on the flight.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government which members of the Government or the Civil Service were party to any agreement with the government of Nigeria that the privately chartered jet carrying Mr Isa Muazu to Nigeria on 29 November would have permission to land at the Nigerian port of entry.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The Nigerian High Commission in London and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja agreed to the removal of Mr Muazu. The Maltese authorities were contacted when the aircraft landed at Malta for operational reasons, which ultimately led to the plane's return to the UK for reasons not connected with either the health or the conduct of Mr Muazu. During the flight, Mr Muazu was accompanied by Home Office officials, detainee custody officers, paramedics and an observer from the Nigeria High Commission.

Isa Muazu

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what has been the total public expenditure so far in relation to the case of Mr Isa Muazu’s in respect of (1) detention, (2) removal and failed deportation to Nigeria, and (3) judicial processes.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The average cost of a night in immigration detention is £100.
	We do not provide the costs of particular flights for reasons of commercial confidentiality.
	Mr Muazu has now been successfully returned to Nigeria.
	Since judicial proceedings have only recently concluded, an up to date estimate of legal cost is not yet available.

Isa Muazu

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they indicated to the Court of Appeal during its recent hearing in the case of Mr Isa Muazu any change of their policy in relation to food- and fluid-refusers; if so, at what point during that hearing they did so; and what considerations led to them making any disclosure at that point.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The policies and procedures set out in the Detention Services Order and Chapter 55.10 of the Enforcement Instructions and Guidance are being applied consistently in line with established legal principles. The Home Office's general approach to the handling of cases of food and fluid refusal in immigration detention has been consistently upheld by the Courts, including by the Court of Appeal in a Judgement handed down on 5 December.

Israel

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made, if any, to the government of France following the incident in October when a French diplomat from the Consulate in Jerusalem was man-handled by Israeli forces and prevented from handing out tents and emergency aid intended for the village of Khirbet Al-Makhul in the Jordan Valley.

Baroness Warsi: The UK has not made any representations to the government of France on this matter as this is a matter for the French Government. The EU issued a statement, which said that EU representatives were in touch with the Israeli authorities to express concern and to demand an explanation: http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_ data/docs/pressdata/EN/foraff/138780.pdf.

Israel

Baroness Tonge: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will discuss with the government of Israel the reported issue of house demolition notices to residents of Hares.

Baroness Warsi: While we have not raised this specific issue, officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly make clear, publicly and privately, to the Israel authorities our serious concerns about the actual or threatened demolition of Palestinian homes and infrastructure in the West Bank. The Department for International Development have advised that the residents of Hares who have demolition orders are receiving legal aid through the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center (JLAC), a partner of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) which the UK helps fund.

Justice: Lay Magistrates

Lord Beecham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McNally on 11 December (WA 126), how much HM Courts and Tribunals Service spent from local budgets on promoting the lay magistracy to potential local recruits.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: HM Courts and Tribunals Service does not have a specific budget set aside for promoting the recruitment of the lay magistracy, and such spends are not separately identifiable. The work of the magistracy is most often promoted through events such as court open days, mock trials involving local schools, and ‘out reach’ activity such as the Magistrates’ Association Magistrates’ in the Community’ initiative. Such activities and events frequently include further publicity through local newspapers and radio interviews.

Justice: Lay Magistrates

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to replace the lay magistracy with lay stipendiaries.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: None. District Judges (Magistrates’ Courts) and lay magistrates bring different strengths and skills to the bench and are equally important to our justice System. The Government is currently looking at the role of magistrates to ensure that they remain a key part of our justice system. This is as a complement to, not at the expense of District Judges in the magistrates’ courts.

Mailing Preference Service

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the mailing preference service.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Government has made sure that there are preference services in place for any one who does not want to receive unsolicited mail. Registering with such services is free and simple.
	There are currently two services run by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA): the Mailing Preference Service (MPS) will stop unsolicited addressed mail, and the “Your Choice” preference service will stop unsolicited unaddressed mailings. . These are separate services as some people may want to stop one or other type of mailing rather than both. More information about these services can be found on the MPS website (httn://www.mpsonline.org.uk/www.mpsonline.org.uk). Royal Mail also operates its own “opt out” service for its “door-to-door” mailings, but this will only stop those unaddressed mailings delivered by Royal Mail (around 25% of such mail). More information about Royal Mail’s service can be found on its website (www.royalmail.com).
	By registering with all three services, consumers can stop the vast majority of unsolicited mailings. Consumers should however be aware that they may continue to receive unsolicited mail from those companies with which they have had some kind of direct customer relationship. To stop unsolicited mail from these sources, consumers will need to make direct contact with the respective companies in order to have their details removed from their mailing databases.

Malaysia

The Lord Bishop of Lichfield: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made representations to the government of Malaysia to help ensure that Christians in that country can continue to worship following the recent Malaysian Court of Appeal ruling that only Muslims may call God “Allah”, given that Malaysian Christians call God “Allah” in their worship and bible translations.

Baroness Warsi: We consistently underline our support for human rights, including freedom of religion, in our contacts with the Malaysian government. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials regularly raise the issue of respecting religious diversity with their Malaysian counterparts. This happened most recently on 7 November when the Acting High Commissioner discussed religious tolerance with the Malaysian Deputy Foreign Minister and others following a workshop on moderation in the context of the Global Movement of Moderates, an initiative launched by Prime Minister Najib. The Malaysian government has made clear that the Appeal Court judgement relates to use of the word Allah by the Catholic Herald newspaper and does not prevent its use by Bahasa speakers in church services or in bibles. We will continue to raise freedom of expression where necessary.

National Infrastructure Plan

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will provide details of the money to be made available to address mobile service “not-spots” on the A470 set out in the National Infrastructure Plan.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: On 3 October 2011, the Government announced up to £150m funding to improve mobile coverage and quality across the UK - known as the Mobile Infrastructure Project (MIP). This is intended to improve mobile phone coverage providing a sustainable solution for people living and working in areas with no mobile coverage. The A470(T) was identified as one of ten roads with ‘not spots’ to be targeted by the MIP.

National Insurance

Lord Moonie: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many National Insurance numbers are issued each year to new arrivals in the United Kingdom; how many are issued to those born in the United Kingdom; how many numbers are extinguished by death each year; and what efforts are made to detect individuals holding more than one number.

Lord Freud: Information on the number of National Insurance Numbers issued to new arrivals in the UK can be found at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/dwp-statistics-tabulation-tool
	HMRC own the process for allocating National Insurance Numbers to individuals born in the United Kingdom, therefore questions on this should be directed to HM Treasury.
	National Insurance numbers are not extinguished by death each year as records are required after death to calculate survivor benefits. Deceased records are however ‘marked’ to prevent any abuse.
	All National Insurance Number applications are subject to rigorous identity checks including document examination to ensure individuals are not allocated more than one number. For the majority of applicants, this process includes a face-to-face interview.

National Security

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what precepts in respect of national security govern the work of the Department of International Development; and what role is played by the National Security Council in such matters.

Baroness Northover: The National Security Council (on which the Secretary of State for International Development sits) and the National Security Strategy set a coherent framework for all of HMG’s security and conflict prevention activity, including decisions within DFID.

NHS: Acute Hospitals

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the average length of stay for patients in National Health Service acute hospitals for each of the last five years for which information is available; what proportion of inpatients in those hospitals stayed longer than the average; and what was the average cost of an inpatient bed in those hospitals in each of those five years, at constant prices.

Earl Howe: The information is shown in the following table for National Health Service acute hospitals for the period 2008-09 to 2012-13 1.
	
		
			 Year Average mean length of stay in days 2 Percentage of patients with a longer than average length of stay 3 Average cost of an inpatient bed in 2012-13 prices £ 4 
			 2008-09 4.5 14.7% 265 
			 2009-10 4.4 14.3% 266 
			 2010-11 4.2 13.8% 266 
			 2011-12 4.2 13.5% 264 
			 2012-13 4.3 13.6% 273 
		
	
	Sources:
	Hospital episode statistics, Health and Social Care Information Centre
	National schedules of reference costs, Department of Health.
	Notes:
	1. The information is not comparable over time because of reconfigurations to acute hospitals.
	2. Average mean length of stay in days: This is the mean average of the spell duration in days. A spell is a period of continuous admitted patient care within an NHS hospital trust The length of stay is calculated by subtracting the admission date from the discharge date. Day cases, which have a length of stay of zero days, are excluded from this calculation.
	3. Percentage of patients with a longer than average length of stay: This is calculated using patients who stayed longer than the average mean length of stay as a proportion of all patients. Day case episodes were included in the definition of all patients for this calculation.
	4. Average cost of an inpatient bed in 2012-13 prices: This is the national average unit cost of excess bed days submitted annually by acute NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts in reference costs. The cost per day for excess bed days beyond expected lengths of stay generally relates to low intensity nursing, blood tests, drugs, dressings, therapies, and hotel costs, although active treatment does sometimes continue. Costs have been inflated to 2012-13 prices using GDP deflators published by Her Majesty’s Treasury on 9 December 2013.

NHS: Clinical Commissioning Groups

Baroness Quin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on vulnerable communities of changes to the Clinical Commissioning Group allocation formula as currently being considered by NHS England.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will ensure that areas with greater health inequalities will not be adversely affected by any new Clinical Commissioning Group allocation formula.

Earl Howe: Responsibility for resource allocation is a matter for NHS England as set out in The Mandate. The Government has made clear in the mandate that one of the governing principles should be equal access for equal need, and that changes in allocations should not result in the destabilising of local health economies.
	Initial findings from NHS England's fundamental review of allocation policy, which drew on the expert advice of the independent Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation and, involved a range of external partners, were considered by the NHS England board at their meeting on 17 December. A new formula to set clinical commissioning group (CCG) allocation targets was agreed.
	The new formula uses a new indicator to recognise how health inequality should be reflected; uses a powerful new method to derive estimates of need; reflects more up-to-date population growth using general practitioner lists; and, reflects the new responsibilities of CCGs.
	I refer the noble Baroness to my written statement issued on 17 December 2013, Official Report, column WS137.

NHS: Continuing Care

Lord Warner: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much the National Health Service has spent on continuing care in 2012–13 and for each of the previous five years at constant prices; and how many people received that care in each year.

Earl Howe: The cost of funding National Health Service continuing healthcare packages has not been captured specifically in the audited accounts of primary care trusts. Since 2009, the Department has collected information on the total cost of NHS continuing healthcare packages through a financial information management systeml. The annual costs (England total) are as follows:
	— 2009-10 - £2,030,071,000— 2010-11 - £2,186,171,000— 2011-12 - £2,324,655,000— 2012-13 - £2,762,532,000
	The Department has published quarterly data on the numbers of individuals in receipt of NHS continuing healthcare since 2009. This information can be viewed in detail on the Department's website at:
	www.gov.uk/government/publications/nhs-continuing-healthcare.
	The England total Quarter 4 figures for individuals in receipt of NHS continuing healthcare are as follows:
	— 2009-10 — 50,424— 2010-11 — 53,264— 2011-12 — 55,654— 2012-13 — 58,809
	Notes:
	1. This is management information and is not audited for Departmental accounts

NHS: Mid-Staffordshire NHS Trust

Lord Mawhinney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answers by Earl Howe on 19 November (HL Deb, col 869) and 9 December (WA 93), whether they have given any consideration to collecting details of how many consultants and junior doctors were replaced at the Mid-Staffordshire Hospital Trust as part of their efforts to hold the system at that trust to account; if so, what factors led to the decision not to collect such data; and if not, why not.

Earl Howe: Following the reforms set out in the Health and Social Care Act 2012 the Department acts as the system steward, providing strategic direction and setting outcomes. It does not directly manage National Health Service organisations, therefore it is not appropriate for the Department to collect data of this type or in this manner. The requested level of operational detail is a matter for the foundation trust board (FTB) or the trust special administrators (TSA) in the case of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust (Mid Staffs).
	As part of its regulatory activity, Monitor collects data on staff turnover, broken down by staff group. This data is used to assess risk and identify trends within individual foundation trusts (FTs) and across the sector. Monitor uses information from a variety of sources such as performance results against national targets, serious incident reports and “never events” to assess whether an FT is well led.
	Monitor does not regularly collect data on the number of staff that have left trusts as a result of disciplinary action. This operational detail is a matter for the FTB (or the TSAs in the case of Mid Staffs).

NHS: PAYE

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of recent developments with PAYE systems in Lewisham and Greenwich National Health Service Trust.

Earl Howe: This is a matter for Lewisham and Greenwich Hospitals NHS Trust. We are advised by the NHS Trust Development Authority that some of the trust's staff who were formerly employed by South London Healthcare NHS Trust were issued incorrect tax codes, as a result of which they did not receive their correct salary for November.
	We understand that the Trust has reimbursed those members of staff who were under-paid in November. Extra payments have been made to staff where necessary and salaries for December have been adjusted accordingly.

North Korea

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of North Korea regarding the political situation in that country.

Baroness Warsi: The UK has a policy of ‘critical engagement’ with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. This means speaking out and taking action on issues such as human rights and North Korea’s nuclear programme, while at the same time engaging the regime with projects and bilateral visits. However, given the opaque nature of the North Korean regime it is particularly difficult to form a clear assessment of the real political situation.
	Following the execution of Jang Song Thaek on 13 December 2013, the British Embassy in Pyongyang spoke to the North Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 19 December 2013 to clarify the situation. Officials in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office also discussed the situation with the North Korean Embassy on 20 December 2013. In both meetings we sought clarification on the situation and expressed our concerns about the use of capital punishment. The North Korean government claimed Jang’s execution is an internal matter and would not impact on their internal or international policies.

North Korea

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they reconcile the remark by Hugo Swire MP, Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, on 16 December (HC Deb, col 479) that the British Embassy in Pyongyang “is working with BBC Worldwide on an initiative to broadcast BBC drama, nature and science programmes on North Korean television” with the remark by Baroness Warsi on 21 January that BBC broadcasts to North Korea are “a matter for the BBC”; and why it is desirable to broadcast drama programmes but not news or documentaries promoting human rights or democracy.

Baroness Warsi: The BBC has full editorial, operational and managerial independence. Both the issue of BBC World Service broadcasts to North Korea and any decision by BBC Worldwide to provide BBC drama and documentary programmes for broadcast on North Korean television are matters for the BBC. As I said in my reply to Lord Alton’s question of 18 December, we understand that the BBC World Service is not currently persuaded that a Korean language service would be an effective use of its funds. In the case of the broadcasting of BBC Worldwide programmes on North Korean television, this is an initiative which is under active consideration by the BBC and on which the British Embassy in Pyongyang has been able to play a role in facilitating contacts. We believe, as my colleague the Minister of State, my Rt. hon. Friend the Member for
	East Devon (Mr Swire) said on 16 December, that it has the potential to expose significant numbers of North Koreans to aspects of the outside world from which they are normally totally isolated.

North Korea

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last summoned the North Korean Ambassador to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to discuss the use of capital punishment in that country against those who have fallen out of favour with the regime, and its use of public executions.

Baroness Warsi: The North Korean Ambassador last came to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) on 10 October 2013. He met the Director General for Economic and Consular issues, who raised our concerns about North Korea’s overall human rights record and encouraged North Korea to engage constructively with the UN Commission of Inquiry into human rights violations by the North Korean government.

North Korea

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they made about human rights cases and issues to the United Nations Commission of Inquiry into crimes against humanity in North Korea during the recent visit of the Commissioners to London; whether they discussed the application in that country of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and whether they discussed the status of those held in that country’s network of prison camps.

Baroness Warsi: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) funded a visit to the UK by the UN Commission of Inquiry and arranged for the Inquiry to take evidence from Parliamentarians, North Korean refugees, and non-governmental organisations about the human rights situation in North Korea. The Inquiry also met with the Minister of State at the FCO, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), and FCO officials specialising in North Korea and human rights. We discussed the substantial limits on freedom, thought and expression imposed by the North Korean government.

Offender Management Act 2007

Baroness Stern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many times the provision in section 34 of the Offender Management Act 2007 which allows a child to be placed in youth detention accommodation that does not have the purpose of restricting liberty has been used since November 2007.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The effect of Section 34 attic Offender Management Act 2007 was to enable new forms of youth detention accommodation to be specified under the Powers of Criminal Courts
	(Sentencing) Act 2000. No such new forms have been specified following the Offender Management Act 2007 and therefore no child has been placed in youth detention accommodation that does not have the purpose of restricting liberty.

Offenders: Dependants

Lord Patten: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McNally on 19 November (WA 199), what is the most recent assessment they have made of the arrangements for identifying dependants of offenders or defendants who face a custodial sentence or a remand in custody.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord McNally on 19 November (WA 199), who co-ordinates the arrangements for identifying dependants of offenders or defendants who face a custodial sentence or a remand in custody and reviews their outcomes.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Government is currently considering practical ways to improve arrangements for identifying dependants of those facing custodial sentences or remand in custody. We will be discussing with organisations and criminal justice agencies how those who come into contact with the criminal justice system can be encouraged to reveal the existence of dependants as early as possible and how that information can be acted upon to ensure adequate arrangements are made for their care.

Overseas Aid

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they currently require, or have ever required, that the Official Development Assistance budget is spent in countries in ways which make the maximum possible contribution to United Kingdom national security.

Baroness Northover: All Departments which spend Official Development Assistance are required to spend their budgets in ways which meet the international definition of Official Development Assistance set by the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
	The National Security Council (on which the Secretary of State for International Development sits) and the 2010 National Security Strategy set a coherent framework for all of HMG’s security and conflict prevention activity. Building on this, the joint DFID/MOD/FCO Building Stability Overseas Strategy (2011) set out a strong integrated approach, bringing together our diplomatic, development and defence work, to tackling instability overseas. Official Development Assistance contributes to the implementation of these strategies, within its overall objective of promoting economic development and the welfare of developing countries.

Pakistan

Lord Ahmed: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Northover on 20 November (WA 217–8), what were the criteria of approval regarding the Education Awareness Programme budget of £20 million allocated for 2012–15 and the total media campaign budget allocated to the Mir Khalil ur Rahman Foundation.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Northover on 20 November (WA 217–8), what was the presentation of the Mir Khalil ur Rahman Foundation to the Department for International Development in respect of their application for the grant.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Northover on 20 November (WA 217–8), whether the Mir Khalil ur Rahman Foundation have submitted any report to highlight the details of their expenditure on the Education Awareness Programme; and whether they have discussed with the Mir Khalil ur Rahman Foundation the purpose of Geo advertisements in the United Kingdom and United States regarding the Education Awareness Programme in Pakistan.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Northover on 20 November (WA 217–8), what was the process for allocating the Department for International
	Development grant to the Mir Khalil ur Rahman Foundation; and whether any other non-governmental organisations were considered for this purpose.

Baroness Northover: I refer the noble Lord to my answer of 20 Nov 2013 (Official Report, WA217 – 218)
	The Mir Khalil ur Rahman (MKRF) provide DFID with quarterly expenditure reports. DFID does not fund MKRF to advertise in the United Kingdom or the United States of America.

Pensions

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many pension fund amalgamations have taken place in each of the last three years.

Lord Freud: Neither DWP or its arms length bodies, including the Pension Regulator collect information on the number of or reasons for amalgamations however data from the Occupational Pension Scheme Survey shows a decline in small scheme membership and an increase in large scheme membership over time. The latest information is presented in the table below:
	Table 1: Number of active members of private sector occupational DC schemes: by size, 2000-2012 (UK, millions)
	
		
			  2000 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 
			 Total Members 0.8 1.2 1.0 1.0 0.8 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.0 
			 10,000+ 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.5 
			 5,000 to 9,999 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 1,000 to 4,999 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.2 
			 100 to 999 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 
			 2 to 99 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 
		
	
	Source:
	OPSS 2000-2012
	Notes:
	1. Only schemes with 12 or more members have been included from 2006 onwards.

Pensions

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the average size of a pension fund in the United Kingdom; and how that figure compares to those in other European Union member states.

Lord Freud: The table shows the average size of pension funds in the UK private sector, broken down by scheme type, and giving the figures that make up the averages.
	
		
			 Scheme Type Total Assets(£bn) Number of Schemes Average Fund Size (£m) 
			 DB and Hybrid 1,118.5 6,150 182 
			 DC Trust-based 24 2,500 9.6 
			 DC Trust-based micro 250 45,000 5.6 
			 DC Contract-based 115 1,500 77 
		
	
	The average size of Defined Benefit and Hybrid pension funds in the UK private sector is £182m. This is based on total assets of £1,118.5bn and 6,150 schemes.
	The average size of Defined Contribution (DC) Trust-Based pension funds in the UK private sector, with 12 or more members, is £9.6m. This is based on total assets of £24bn and 2,500 schemes.
	The average size of DC Trust-Based micro pension funds in the UK private sector is £5.6m. This is based on total assets of £250bn and 45,000 schemes.
	The average size of DC Contract-Based pension funds in the UK private sector is £77m. This is based on total assets of £115bn and 1,500 schemes.
	We are unable to provide comparative figures for European Union member states.

Personal Independence Payment

Baroness Thomas of Winchester: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the current average delays, if any, at each separate stage of the claimant process for the Personal Independence Payment; and what action they propose to take to address any delays at each separate stage.

Lord Freud: Personal Independence Payment started from April 2013 and although limited data has started to feed through, we need to wait until the Department has quality assured and meaningful figures for publication. The Department is working to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure we are able to publish statistics that meet high quality standards at the earliest opportunity. We intend to publish Official Statistics on Personal Independence Payment from Spring 2014.
	The different stages of the claimant process and what needs to happen before we can make a decision on a claim for PIP can be viewed by accessing the PIP Claimant Journey, which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pip-claim-process-overview-the-claimant-journey
	The length of time it takes to deal with a claim depends on how long each stage actually takes for individuals.
	As PIP is a new benefit we are looking closely at how long the claimant journey is taking against original estimates. We are working with operational colleagues and providers to ensure that all the steps in the process are as smooth as they can be. We continue to look at our processes to ensure that satisfactory arrangements are in place to assess a person’s entitlement to PIP.

Philippines

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made any assessment of the impact on the environment of the mining laws recently passed by the Philippines parliament.

Baroness Warsi: Mining is a sector that, if managed appropriately, can help deliver growth and jobs that will help development in the Philippines. The current legislative basis iswidely recognised as needing
	further improvement. Environmental concerns are an issue of continuing concern, particularly the scale of illegal and small scale mining.
	The most recent addition to the legal framework was very positive; the Philippines government has committed to participate in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, which sets international standards for transparency and accountability. The British Embassy is working with non-governmental organisations and local government representatives on this process, with the aim of promoting greater transparency and local community involvement in the mining sector.

Political Parties and Elections Act 2009

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the new text, sections and schedule inserted into the Political Parties and Elections Act 2009 as a result of the House of Lords' agreement to Motion A, moved by Lord Bach on 20 July 2009 on consideration of the House of Commons amendments, have been brought into law and enforced.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: This provision is not in force. There is a need for the Government to ensure that these provisions are workable in practice as well as consistent with the wider legislative framework. There is however already a robust legal framework in place to ensure that only individuals that are registered on the electoral register and organisations that carry on business in the UK can make donations to political organisations in the UK.

Railways: High Speed 2

Lord Morris of Aberavon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when the Information Commissioner rejected Minsters' objections to publish the November 2011 Project Assessment Review of the High Speed Rail Project; and whether they continue to maintain those objections.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Information Commissioner issued a Decision Notice on 6 June 2013 in relation to a request for the November 2011 Major Projects Authority report into the High Speed Rail Project.

Railways: High Speed 2

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they consider that the HS2 Bill and the procedures attached to it comply with the requirements of the Equator Principles.

Baroness Kramer: The equator principles are primarily a risk management framework for financial institutions to enable them to determine, assess and
	manage environmental and social risk in projects. Whilst this approach has merits for the financial sector, the correct way to identify likely significant effects for a project such as HS2 is by undertaking an Environmental Statement. This was laid in Parliament alongside the hybrid Bill on 25 November.

Railways: High Speed 2

Viscount Astor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what funding has been made available in the current Parliament to support the HS2 project.

Baroness Kramer: In 2010/11 expenditure on HS2 was £24.3 million.
	In 2011/12 expenditure on HS2 was £55.6 million.
	In 2012/13 expenditure on HS2 was £212.9 million.
	In 2013/14 the budget allocation for HS2 is £366.9 million.
	In 2014/15 the budget allocation for HS2 is £442.5 million.

Railways: High Speed 2

Viscount Astor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what proportion of the current HS2 rail budget has been allocated to (1) land acquisition, (2) land and property compensation, and (3) all other types of compensation.

Baroness Kramer: There is no specific sum of money set aside exclusively for property compensation and property purchase schemes associated with HS2.
	A consultation on discretionary support for residential property owners affected by the Phase One route of HS2 closed on 4 December 2013. The Government expects to announce its decision by the summer of 2014.
	The result of the consultation will be one of the influences the final cost of compensation for Phase One. It is therefore not possible to say at this stage how much land and compensation for HS2 will cost, but a figure of around £1.6bn for Phase One has been assumed.
	Property and compensation payments both form a call on the HS2 Property capital budget, which is £100m for 2013/14 and £150m for 2014/15.
	Other types of compensation for Phase 1 primarily comprises of compensation to Train Operating Companies for disruption caused by HS2 works. An indicative figure of around £440m has been assumed but this will be kept under review as the detailed design and construction work planning matures.
	On Phase Two, Government is currently consulting on the line of route which once a decision has been made, will help to determine the indicative costs for property compensation and acquisition and other types of compensation.

Railways: High Speed 2

Viscount Astor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the most recent estimate of the total projected cost of the HS2 rail scheme including (1) rolling stock, (2) VAT, and (3) the spur link to Heathrow.

Baroness Kramer: The most recent cost estimate for both phases of the project is £42.6bn and £7.5bn for rolling stock. This includes contingency of £14.4bn for construction costs and £1.7bn for rolling stock. The overall total estimated cost of the project is therefore £50.1bn. This estimate does not include VAT as, as the NAO has highlighted, VAT is an internal transfer within government rather than an additional cost. It would therefore not be right to include VAT within cost estimates.
	Work on the Heathrow spur has been put on hold pending the advice of the Airports Commission on future airport strategy for the UK and a decision will be taken by the Government elected at the next General Election. The most recent cost estimate by HS2 Ltd for a Heathrow spur is that, were the spur to go ahead, it would cost around £1.46 billion.

Railways: High Speed 2

Viscount Astor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the total projected cost of HS2 Phase Two includes the spur link to Heathrow.

Baroness Kramer: At Spending Round 2013 a funding envelope of £21.2bn was set for Phase Two. As work on the Heathrow spur has been put on hold pending the advice of the Airports Commission on future airport strategy for the UK, the itemised cost for the Heathrow spur was not included in the base costs used for Spending Round 2013.

Railways: High Speed 2

Viscount Astor: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will publish details of any additional funding that has been allocated for preparatory work for future phases of a high speed rail network following Royal Assent to the High Speed Rail (Preparation) Act 2013.

Baroness Kramer: The High Speed Rail (Preparation) Act provides Parliamentary Authority for preparatory works for Phase One of HS2 and all future phases of a high speed rail network. This preparatory work will include pre-construction surveying and design and the acquisition of property for the construction of HS2.
	There is no distinct budget for preparatory work separate to the budget for the HS2 project overall and the powers in the Bill do not provide for any additional spending further to the budget that has been already set and agreed with HM Treasury and voted on by the House in the usual manner.

Railways: Intercity Express Trains

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Attlee on 20 July 2011 (WA 337), what are the current estimates of the cost of building the Intercity Express Train as an electric version and as a bi-mode (diesel and electric) version in both five-vehicle and nine-vehicle versions.

Baroness Kramer: The expected total cost of the Intercity Express Programme is £5.8bn over 27.5 years for the provision of 122 trains and their subsequent maintenance and servicing as well as infrastructure works. The costs in relation to the fleet mix, as requested by the Noble Lord, are commercially confidential.

Rainforests

Lord Eden of Winton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what recent assessment they have made of the extent to which areas of rainforest are being felled to make way for oil palm plantations; what is the estimated effect on plant and animal life and on human habitation of that felling; and what are the consequences of such felling for worldwide climate conditions.

Lord De Mauley: Defra has made no recent assessment of these issues. Assessments have been made by others, for example the UN Food and Agriculture Organization has published its Global Forest Resource Assessment.

Rape

Baroness Uddin: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of their commitment to establish recognition of rape as a weapon of war, what strategies are currently in place through international institutions to support women raped during the war between Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Baroness Warsi: The Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal was established with the support of International Institutions in 2010 to investigate those alleged to have committed crimes during the 1971 war between Pakistan and Bangladesh. The tribunal has indicted, tried and sentenced several people for crimes against humanity, including rape.
	The noble Baroness will be aware of the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) launched in May 2012 by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague). This aims to combat the use of rape as a weapon of war, to end the culture of impunity that exists for these crimes and to increase the number of perpetrators brought to account, and to provide support to survivors. Both our G8 and UN General Assembly (UNGA) Declarations encourage countries to provide greater support and assistance to survivors of sexual violence and we continue to strongly urge those, including Bangladesh, who have not already done so to endorse the UNGA declaration.

Republic of Ireland: Financial Assistance

Lord Kilclooney: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total amount of their bilateral loans to the Republic of Ireland in 2010; how much interest on such loans has been paid to HM Treasury; and when they expect that the loans will be fully repaid.

Lord Deighton: The UK agreed in 2010 to provide a bilateral loan to Ireland of £3.2 billion as part of an international financial assistance package of €67.5 billion. The loan was disbursed in eight tranches of £403.37 million each.
	Each tranche has a maturity of 7.5 years from the date of disbursement. The final tranche was disbursed on 26 September 2013 and the final principal repayment of the loan is due on 26 March 2021.
	The UK receives interest payments every six months and has received 5 payments to date totalling £106,289,917.91.
	In accordance with the Loans to Ireland Act 2010, HM Treasury reports to Parliament every six months including information on principal and interest payments.

Roads: Car Traffic

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Kramer on 17 December (WA 194), what were the forecasts made in 1989, 1997 and 2008 for car and taxi traffic volumes for 2011.

Baroness Kramer: Great Britain Car and Taxi forecasts for the year 2011 are presented in the Table below for each of the requested traffic forecasts.
	
		
			 Year of Forecast Car/Taxi forecast (Bn Miles) 2011 
			 1989 Forecast Low Demand 281.3 
			 1989 Forecast Central Demand 315.1 
			 1989 Forecast High Demand 348.9 
			 1997 Forecast Low Demand 259.4 
			 1997 Forecast Central Demand 284.0 
			 1997 Forecast High Demand 306.4 
			 2008 Forecast Central Demand 256.2 
			 2011 GB Outturn Car/Taxi Data 240.7 
		
	
	The NTM Road Traffic Forecasts should not be viewed as what we think will actually happen in the future, or what we want the future to look like. The forecasts are what may happen, based on: (i) our current understanding of how people make travel choices; (ii) the expected path of key drivers of travel demand; (iii) assuming no change in government policy beyond that already announced.
	The forecasts will therefore reflect the latest thinking on these three factors in the year they were produced.
	Our most recent traffic forecast publication Road Traffic Forecasts 2013 is available on our website at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/road-transport-forecasts-2013 and this shows how a range of forecasts have performed against outturn data.

Royal Charter: Press Regulation

Lord Lexden: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 20 November (WA 219), why the Royal Charter on Self-Regulation of the Press is subject to approval by the devolved institutions when Parliament has no such role.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 20 November (WA 219), whether the Northern Ireland Executive has made a decision about allowing the operation of the Royal Charter on Self-Regulation of the Press.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 20 November (WA 219), whether the Royal Charter on Self-Regulation of the Press is a devolved matter in (1) Wales, and (2) Scotland; and, if so, what discussions they have held with the respective administrations of those countries.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 20 November (WA 219), whether they will place in the Library of the House the legal advice they have received regarding the operation of the Royal Charter on Self-Regulation of the Press in the devolved administrations.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Royal Charter, which was granted by the Privy Council acting on the advice of UK Government Ministers on 30 October 2013, has been discussed and debated in Parliament eleven times since Easter 2013 and was the result of a cross-party agreement concluded by the leaders of the three main political parties.
	Following the vote in the Scottish Parliament on 30 April 2013 agreeing to Scottish participation in the Charter, discussions have been held with the Scottish Government to ensure the Charter properly reflects Scotland’s devolved responsibilities, Scots law and Scottish circumstances.
	The Northern Ireland administration has not at this time entered into similar arrangements in relation to the Charter.
	The self-regulation of the press in Wales is not a devolved matter. Officials have continued to update officials in all three devolved administrations on progress of the Charter.
	Any legal advice received on this issue is subject to legal professional privilege and it is therefore not appropriate to disclose any such advice.

Royal Charters

Lord Lexden: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 20 November (WA 219), whether Royal Charters relating to the BBC, the Bank of England, the Scout Association, and the British Film Institute operate in Northern Ireland; and, if so, how in each case the decision to allow their operation in Northern Ireland was taken.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: A Royal Charter confers independent legal personality on a body and defines its objectives constitution and powers to govern its own affairs. Where the incorporated body then operates is usually a matter for each organisation to determine. In some cases this is specified in the Charter.

Royal Navy: Personnel

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the planned numbers of trained and untrained Royal Naval and Royal Marines personnel in (1) 2015, (2) 2018, and (3) 2020.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there will be sufficient Royal Naval personnel to man the currently planned fleet in (1) 2018, and (2) 2020.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the planned recruitment figures of Royal Naval ratings for (1) 2018, and (2) 2020.

Lord Astor of Hever: The Ministry of Defence does not hold the information requested broken down for the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines. The figures in the following table represent the totality of military personnel in the Naval Service.
	The planned numbers of trained personnel are:
	
		
			 April 2015 April 2018 April 2020 
			 30,270 29,850 29,900 
		
	
	The number of untrained personnel at April 2015 is expected be in the region of 3,200. The numbers for 2018 and 2020 have not been calculated as they are dependent on future manning requirements, outflows, and training wastage rates.
	Royal Navy strength is forecast to be within manning balance, which is defined as +1% to -2% of the planned Trained Strength target of 29,850 at April 2018. A forecast for 2020 is not yet available.
	The recruitment figures for Royal Navy Rating entries in 2018 and 2020 have not yet been set.

Royal Navy: Personnel

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what size the Royal Naval Reserve will be in (1) 2015, (2) 2018, and (3) 2020.

Lord Astor of Hever: I refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement my right hon. Friend the Defence Secretary (Philip Hammond) released in the other place on 19 December 2013 (Official Report, column 124WS), and a paper that was placed in the Library of the House setting out the planned growth of the trained strength of the Reserve Forces, together with the enlistment targets for the next five years that will support that growth.

Royal Parks

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much rent is paid by Winter Wonderland for use of Hyde Park; what undertakings are required in respect of reparation; and what steps are taken to ensure that the Park remains an attractive destination for other users.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: PWR is the company contracted by The Royal Parks Agency (TRP) to deliver Wonder Wonderland. The value of the contract is commercially confidential but the monies raised by TRP are reinvested in the parks.
	Over 2.5 million people are expected to visit Winter Wonderland this year. The footprint of the event covers around 10% of Hyde Park and is free to access. The rest of the park is open as an amenity for all visitors.
	The experienced park management teams ensure the ground is reinstated and fully restored after the event, funded by the event organisers.

Russia

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with the World Trade Organisation about Russia's recent ban on imports of chocolate from the Ukraine, cheese from Lithuania, wine from Georgia and wine, fruit and vegetables from Moldova.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The British Government has had no discussions with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) about Russian bans of goods from third countries. However we continue to impress upon Russia, bilaterally and through the EU, the need to adhere fully to the WTO’s rules and guidelines. The EU will also raise trade issues, including ongoing EU trade disputes with Russia, at the EU-Russia summit taking place in Brussels at the end of January.

Schools: Free Meals

Lord Greaves: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how the pupil premium will be calculated for pupils in reception classes and years one and two who would previously have qualified for free school meals but who will in future be entitled to receive them as of right.

Lord Nash: We are providing significant funding through the pupil premium to help raise the attainment of disadvantaged children. The way in which we allocate the pupil premium in 2014-15 will not be affected by our policy to introduce free school meals for all infant pupils because we will use data from the January 2014 school census. This means that we will still have data on infant pupils who are eligible for free school meals under the current criteria.
	Local authorities such as Southwark, Newham, Durham and Islington have offered free school meals to their primary pupils while still identifying those who should be eligible for the pupil premium. We will consider their experience and set out our proposals in due course.

Schools: Funding

The Earl of Dundee: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure that school funding mechanisms do not disadvantage small schools.

Lord Nash: We value small schools and recognise that they often play a vital role in rural communities. We have given local authorities flexibility to support small schools through the allocation in their funding formulae of a lump sum and a sparsity factor.
	The intention of the lump sum is to provide all schools with a base level of funding to meet some of the costs of running a school that may not be affordable through per-pupil funding alone. From 2014-15 we are giving local authorities more flexibility by allowing them to set a different level of lump sum for primary schools as compared with secondary schools.
	The sparsity factor is designed to support small schools, without which pupils would have to travel an excessive distance. Local authorities, in consultation with their Schools Forums, have the flexibility to target money to:
	1. Primary schools with fewer than 150 pupils, if the pupils for whom the school is their closest would otherwise have to travel an average distance greater than or equal to 2 miles to their next nearest school; and
	2. Secondary schools with fewer than 600 pupils, if the pupils for whom the school is their closest would otherwise have to travel an average distance greater than or equal to 3 miles to their next nearest school.
	As we make further reforms to the school funding system we will continue to consider the impact of new arrangements on small schools and rural communities.

Schools: Sports

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to increase the availability of after-school sports provision.

Lord Nash: Physical Education (PE) and sport provision in schools is a top priority for this Government. We are providing over £450 million of funding for primary schools over the academic years 2013/14 to 2015/16 specifically to improve PE and sport. Head teachers can choose to spend this, for example, on increasing after-school provision of sports clubs or increasing participation in competitive activity such as the School games.
	Sport England also offer a range of activities that can be accessed after school at secondary level, including the successful Satellite Clubs and Sportivate programmes, offering pupils the chance to try new sports and building links with community sports clubs.
	We are also making it easier for schools to provide out-of-hours provision and, where they choose, for them to do it in partnership with other providers. For example, we are legislating to remove the need for schools to consult when offering out-of-hours facilities or to follow advice about the provision of out-of-hours facilities from the Secretary of State or local authorities.

Slovenia

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received representations about the recent documentary prepared by Professor Dr Edward Gobetz, Slovenia, Twenty Five Years Later, regarding the resurgence of Communism within Slovenia in recent years.

Baroness Warsi: The Government has not received any such representations.

South Sudan

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the events in Juba, South Sudan, on 16 December.

Baroness Warsi: We are deeply concerned by the outbreak of violence in South Sudan. There have been high numbers of reported deaths and over 120,000 people have been displaced from their homes, of whom about half are seeking refuge in UN compounds. The humanitarian response is severely constrained by insecurity in many locations. We are working with aid agencies to identify urgent priorities and prepare for when access to other currently insecure areas improves. On 30 December, the Department for International Development has announced an additional £12.5 million to support humanitarian needs.
	The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), spoke to South Sudanese President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Dr Riek Machar on Sunday 29 December urging them both to commit to an immediate ceasefire and to enter into negotiations without preconditions. In separate discussions with the Ethiopian Foreign Minister, the Foreign Secretary and my hon. Friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr Simmonds) confirmed the UK’s full support for the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD)-led mediation to bring President Kiir and opposing forces to the negotiating table. Mr Simmonds reiterated this in discussions with the Ugandan Foreign Minister. We are working closely with US and Norwegian counterparts to discuss how the troika can best support this process.
	We welcome the Security Council’s unanimous adoption of resolution 2132 (2013) which authorised an increase of five battalions (5,500 troops) and three formed police units (480 personnel) for the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). We have been deeply concerned of reports of human right violations and the ethnic dimension of attacks. We welcome efforts by UN Mission in South Sudan to investigate reports of abuses, and to protect civilians and call on all sides to ensure respect for human rights of all.

Sport: Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to support an expansion of the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: UK Sport provides funding to Sports Aid for the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS). This funding is confirmed until September 2014. UK Sport and Sport England are working together on talent development in England and are considering future funding options for this programme.

Sudan

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their response to the comments made by the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
	criticising the United Nations Security Council’s “inaction and paralysis” concerning the arrest warrants issued in 2009 against Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir and other top Sudanese officials for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Darfur.

Baroness Warsi: The Government of Sudan has a clear obligation to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC), pursuant to Security Council resolution 1593 (2005). It has repeatedly failed to do so. The UK continues to call on the Government of Sudan to meet its obligations and to cooperate with the ICC, including with respect to enforcement of the five separate arrest warrants issued by the Court. We call on all ICC States Parties to comply with their obligation to execute the outstanding arrest warrants in the event that an individual indicted by the ICC enters on its territory.
	It is important that the Council follows up on its decision to refer the situation in Darfur to the Court. We have consistently raised this point in the Council, most recently on 11 December following a briefing to the Council from the ICC Prosecutor. We will continue to do so.
	A full copy of the UK statement to the meeting on 11 December can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/uk-calls-on-sudan-to-cooperate-with-icc

Telephone Preference Service

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of the telephone preference service.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is a free service and more than 19.5 million numbers are currently registered with them. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) considers complaints from consumers and can issue a monetary penalty of up to £500,000. Since January 2012, the ICO has issued four substantive monetary penalties totalling £360,000 in relation to unsolicited marketing calls being made to TPS registered consumers and action against fifteen other organisations is also under consideration.
	In spring 2014, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) will be reviewing the effectiveness of the TPS in preventing unsolicited direct marketing calls and we will consider Ofcom’s findings to determine whether further action is necessary: http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/ silent-calls/joint-action-plan. Also, we will be publishing our action plan on nuisance calls in the new year.

Turkey

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have been asked for advice on the revision and modernisation of the Turkish constitution, with particular regard to devolution of powers and the reform of anti-terror legislation.

Baroness Warsi: We welcome the Turkish government’s efforts to develop a new civilian constitution and will continue to encourage an open drafting process, including full consultation with civil society, in order to secure the widest possible consensus. We stand ready to offer support if asked.
	We welcome the Turkish Parliament’s approval of the fourth judicial reform package in April of this year. This is an important step towards improving anti-terror legislation in Turkey and we continue to encourage Turkey to make further progress.

Turkey

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have been consulted by the International Peace Initiative regarding the Kurdish question in Turkey; and whether they met Judge Essa Moosa of South Africa when he visited London recently.

Baroness Warsi: We regularly meet with relevant non-government organisations and think tanks to discuss developments on the Kurdish issue in Turkey. However, we have not been consulted by the International Peace Initiative, nor did we meet Judge Essa Moosa when he visited London recently. We fully support the Turkish government’s efforts to finding a peaceful solution and commend recent steps taken by all parties to move the process forward. A peaceful resolution to the Kurdish issue would significantly enhance the stability and prosperity of Turkey and the wider region.

Turkey

Lord Sharkey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Turkey about the freedom of the press and the detention of journalists in that country; and when and to whom any such representations were made.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: We and our EU partners continue to take a close interest in press and other freedoms in Turkey and our concerns are reflected in the EU's 2013 Annual Progress Report on Turkey.
	The UK plays an integral part in delivering the EU’s local human rights strategy in Turkey and, together with our EU partners, we continue to work at all levels to encourage Turkey to make further progress on the full range of human rights issues, including press freedom.
	Most recently, officials from our Embassy in Ankara spoke to a cross-departmental Turkish delegation of senior officials and judges on 13 December. The importance the UK attaches to media freedom was underlined, as was the view that all fundamental freedoms were an important aspect of Turkey’s EU accession process.

Unemployment: Young People

Lord Fearn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there are any joint schemes between the United Kingdom and other European countries to help young unemployed persons below the age of 24 to find employment.

Lord Freud: Young people aged 18-30 years can receive limited financial support to work in other EU Member States under the “Your First EURES Job” scheme. This support is restricted to businesses employing fewer than 250 staff which are unable to recruit staff with the right profile in their own country.
	The Employment Service in the exporting Member State is permitted to fund the costs of travelling for an interview and/or moving abroad. Employers participating in the scheme may receive EU funding to provide an integration programme. The latter must include training with an option to seek funding for language courses and settlement assistance (accommodation search, qualification recognition etc.).
	The UK has decided not to participate in this scheme. However, this does not prevent UK employers using the scheme to bring in young workers from other Member States providing they meet the relevant criteria.
	Further information on “Your First EURES Job” can be obtained from the following link to the European Commission Web site:
	http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=993

Unemployment: Young People

Lord Fearn: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance they provide to school leavers to help them find employment.

Lord Nash: By raising the participation age, the Government is making sure that young people get the education and training they need after compulsory schooling to help them transfer into work or further study. Every 16 and 17 year old is entitled to an offer of a suitable place in education or training under the ‘September Guarantee’. In order to deliver this, the Government plans to spend £7.4 billion in 2013-14 to fund an education and training place for every 16 or 17 year old who wants one.
	We are working to ensure that young people leave education and training with the skills and qualifications that employers want by ensuring a stronger focus on core knowledge and skills, introducing study programmes, making vocational qualifications more robust and involving employers in their development, delivery and assessment. We are reforming apprenticeships, introducing new traineeships for young people who are not yet ready for an apprenticeship, and providing extra support to vulnerable young people to help them move into jobs through the Youth Contract. We have also extended the duty on schools to secure independent careers guidance for all their pupils from year 8 to year 13.
	As announced in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement, Jobcentre Plus will pilot the provision of support for 16 and 17 year olds to help them re-engage with education, training, or employment with training - including supporting those who want help to find apprenticeships and traineeships.
	From April 2015, employer National Insurance contributions will be abolished for under 21 year olds on earnings up to £813 per week. This will apply to
	both existing employers and those taking on a new employee under 21, helping to support jobs for almost 1.5 million young people currently in employment.

United Nations: Responsibility to Protect

Baroness Falkner of Margravine: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have made a voluntary financial contribution to support the work of the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect.

Baroness Warsi: In 2010 the joint office of the Special Advisers on Prevention of Genocide and Responsibility to Protect was established at the request of the UN Secretary-General. The UK fully supports the joint office’s work to assess potential and current crisis situations to determine the threat of genocide and mass atrocity.
	The UK has contributed £116,000 for financial year 2012/2013 to UN Joint Office for the Prevention of Genocide and Responsibility to Protect. For financial years 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 the UK will contribute £242,000 each year.
	The UK's contribution to the Joint Office will help to strengthen the capacity of Member States and regional and sub-regional organisations to develop early warning, risk assessment and response strategies to prevent genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

Vehicles: Long Heavy Vehicles

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with Members of the European Parliament over the United Kingdom’s position on longer heavier vehicles.

Baroness Kramer: The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, the Hon Member for Hemel Hempstead (Mike Penning) discussed longer lorries with Brian Simpson MEP and Mathieu Grosch MEP in June 2012, when he was the responsible Minister. Following the publication in April 2013 of the Commission’s proposal to amend Directive 96/53/EC, which sets out maximum weights and dimensions for road vehicles circulating within the Community, the Government has provided briefing for UK MEPs on the issues raised. This was last updated in October 2013.

Visas

Lord Rowe-Beddoe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they propose to reduce the length or cost of the visa application process in order to facilitate the entry to the United Kingdom of Russian entertainers, artists and their supporters participating in the United Kingdom–Russia Year of Culture 2014.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) recently expanded the scope of the priority visa service in Russia so that those seeking to enter the UK to participate in the Year of Culture will be able to avail themselves of this service (which sees applications processed within three days of receipt by UKVI).
	The average processing time for a non-settlement visa in Russia was nine days during the first half of 2013, well under our 15 day service standard.
	There are no plans to reduce visa fees for those involved in the Year of Culture.

Waste Management: Electrical Equipment

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to extend the 13-week storage requirement for electrical equipment under the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Regulations.

Lord De Mauley: There are no restrictions under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations on the length of time for WEEE storage and there are no plans to review storage periods. However, the Environment Agency may set additional site specific restrictions as part of any waste management licence or exemption.

Waste Management: Electrical Equipment

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to issue guidelines to local authorities on the disposal of electrical lighting equipment on waste disposal sites by commercial suppliers of electrical equipment.

Lord De Mauley: There are currently no plans to issue guidelines to local authorities on the disposal of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE).
	Permits at waste disposal sites do not impose specific restrictions on the sources of waste that can be accepted. It is up to individual permit holders to determine which waste their sites will accept.

Waterways

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assistance they provide towards the maintenance and promotion of inland waterways.

Lord De Mauley: The maintenance and promotion of inland waterways is a matter for navigation authorities rather than the Government. However, the Government provides grant in aid funding to the two largest navigation authorities in England and Wales; the Canal and River Trust and the Environment Agency. The Government has also commissioned for 2013/14 three pieces of waterways safety guidance from the Association of Inland Navigation Authorities, the industry body for navigation authorities.

Wildlife: Illegal Trade

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the measures agreed at the African Elephant Summit held in Gaborone, Botswana, between 2 and 4 December on elephant populations and the illegal international wildlife trade.

Lord De Mauley: We welcome the agreement reached at the African Elephant Summit, at which I represented the UK Government, on 14 urgent measures to tackle ivory trafficking. Although it is too early to assess the impact of the agreed measures, it was encouraging to see the active engagement of many countries and the commitment of the Botswana Government to finding answers to the poaching epidemic. It is now for the international community to act on these urgent measures, a message we will build on at the London Conference on illegal wildlife trade on 13 February 2014.

Wildlife: Illegal Trade

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had since May 2010 with the government of China regarding the illegal trade in wildlife.

Lord De Mauley: My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister, accompanied by the Secretary of State, undertook a trade mission to China earlier this month. Useful discussions were held during this trip on the issue of illegal wildlife trade and the Chinese Government was encouraged to participate at the highest possible level in the London Conference on Illegal Wildlife Trade being held on 13 February 2014. I also met the Vice Minister of China’s State Forestry Administration earlier this month at the International Union for Conservation of Nature African Elephant Summit in
	Botswana to discuss closer co-operation on efforts to tackle poaching and illegal trade.
	UK Government officials have also engaged in discussions with China about tackling illegal wildlife trade through international fora such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). For example, the UK and China are members of the CITES Ivory and Rhinoceros Enforcement Task Force, which exchanges intelligence on the smuggling of ivory and rhino horn and develops strategies for combating illegal trade.

Wildlife: Illegal Trade

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had since May 2010 with the government of Burma regarding the conservation of wildlife and eradication of the illegal trade in wildlife.

Lord De Mauley: Defra officials have engaged with the Government of Burma at various international wildlife conservation meetings, for example, the Global Tiger Initiative’s Second Asian Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation held in Bhutan in October 2012, and the 16th Conference of Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in March 2013.
	Burma’s Foreign Minister has been invited to attend the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade on 13 February 2014. Burmese Government officials are also invited to the Senior Officials Group that brings together representatives of all the invited Governments and intergovernmental organisations discussing the structure and objectives of the London Conference.
	In Burma, in 2010 and 2011 the British Embassy in Rangoon supported conservation work in wildlife sanctuaries in the Mandalay Region and Southern Rakhine State respectively. Embassy officials met the
	Minister of Environmental Conservation and Forestry in Naypyitaw in April 2013 and raised concerns over the conservation of rare animal species in Hkakabo Razi in Northern Kachin State. Embassy officials also met the Ministry of Environmental Conservation and Forestry in Naypyitaw on three occasions earlier this year to discuss wildlife conservation and protection, and urge Burma to attend the London Conference in February 2014. In addition, the Embassy made requests to the Burmese Government to permit the BBC to film in Burma for the ‘Wild Burma: Nature’s Lost Kingdom’ programme.

Young Offenders: Special Educational Needs

Baroness Stern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many children admitted to (1) young offender institutions, (2) secure training centres, and (3) secure children's homes, in each of the last five years had statements of special educational needs.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: A child's possession of a statement of special educational needs is recorded when he or she enters custody. However, the information requested on the numbers of young people with such statements in each of the last five years is not routinely extracted and collated and could only be done at disproportionate cost.
	The Government will shortly set out our plans for transforming youth custody to ensure that all young people in the youth secure estate, including those with special educational needs, receive high quality education provision. The Government has also recently introduced provisions in the Children and Families Bill to improve the support provided to young people in custody with special educational needs.